Adam's Ex
by Livi2Jack
Summary: New Chapters! Ten years ago while in school in Boston Adam Cartwright married and divorced. Now his ex-wife from Boston shows up in Virginia City with a problem, a big problem. What does she want now?
1. Chapter 1: Spring Fever

**Adam's Ex**

By Livi

**Summary:** In college back in Boston Adam briefly married. Now years later, she shows up in Virginia City. Adam has his hands full. The ex-wife meets the family she never knew and isn't sure she wants to either. Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong... to her amazement.

Rated T for some violence and intimate allusions.

Characters: Adam, Hoss, Little Joe, and Ben Cartwright, Muley Jones, Sheriff Coffee, Clem Foster, Candy Canaday, Laura Dayton, Peggy

Category: Humor, Romance, AU a little, Mystery, Adventure

Related Episodes: The Pure Truth, Bank Run, The Pressure Game, Hound Dog, Knight Errant

Genre: Het

Pairings: Adam Cartwright and his ex-Wife, Joe Cartwright and Carrie McClain

**Author's Note**: On Bonanza World Forums, Repete asked for a story about Adam having married briefly during college back East and she shows up unexpectedly years later.

**Disclaimer**: Bonanza and its characters are the property of David Dortort and Paramount. No copywright infringement is intended. This story is for fun not profit. Original characters are the property of the author and may not be used without permission. No posting elsewhere without permission of the author.

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**Chapter 1: Spring Fever**

Normally in Spring a young man's thoughts turn to love. Not for Adam, he had a duty to perform, as the eldest brother. Hoss had Spring Fever... again. This year he had it bad. Besides falling asleep everywhere, he had cravings, too. Some years, Hoss would sleep and feel sluggish all day until it passed. Some years Hoss was a menace to himself and everyone around him. He would fall asleep and cause accidents and disasters. One year, Hoss fell asleep cooking at midnight for one of his cravings. The frying pan overturned starting a grease fire that burned down the kitchen. If Adam hadn't been up reading in bed, he never would have smelled the smoke in time to rescue Hoss from the blaze in the kitchen. No, in Spring, Adam's thoughts turned to Hoss, the family menace.

Today, Hoss was in town with Little Joe and Adam. Tall, dark, handsome Adam was the one with the college education, the one who could logically solve problems, the one with the calm exterior and brooding countenance. This year, Adam decided to do something about Hoss from the start of the bout of Spring Fever. Adam was there for a Cattlemen's Association meeting, sitting quietly listening to a dull speaker, when shouts and alarms came through the open windows. Screams punctuated the shouts with the clanging of a bell. Adam sighed; rubbing his hand over his face, knowing it had to be Hoss. He specifically told Joe, the youngest of the three brothers, to take Hoss to Sheriff Coffee and have him locked up as a public service for the duration. However, Joe, the family hearthrob with his curly brown hair and impish disposition, had a way of being diverted by every skirt in town. Knowing he had to go deal with it, Adam got up to excuse himself. Whatever it was, he hoped money could cure it. There could be more than property damage. Last year, Hoss broke Joe's leg by accident. This year, Adam was afraid something worse could have happened.

Hoss Cartwright was a mountain of a man. At 6'4" tall and 300 pounds, even a sleeping Hoss was formidable. Moon-faced, blue-eyed, and cheerful, Hoss could do some real damage not even intending it. His exaggerated attacks of Spring Fever occurred on schedule each year since he was a boy. Adam remembered every year's calamities as if they were yesterday. He had catalogued them for posterity since no one would ever believe it unless they saw it. This was only day three of the Fever. It could go on for weeks. Normally calm, Adam nervously reached for his black hat and yellow coat to go outside and face the mayhem wrought by his huge Swede of a brother. Outside, folks were running in one direction... away from the Jail. In the distance could be heard the distinctive pop pop pop rattatattat of bullets going off. Adam caught the arm of the next man to run past.

"Clem, aren't you supposed to run _toward _the shooting? You _are_ the deputy," Adam said to the tall wild-eyed man.

"Not this time, Adam," Clem panted. "I don't know how he did it, but he did it."

"I'm going to hate myself for asking but who did what?"

"Hoss accidentally somehow put a box of cartridges in the jail fireplace."

Adam groaned, crossing his arms over his chest and rocking back on his heels. "I do hate myself. How?"

"The new shipment of cartridges came in wooden boxes. One stack was empty. The other was full. Hoss …"

"Put in the wrong stack to burn…" Adam clapped his hands to his face. "Did anyone get shot?"

"Not so far, but we won't know until the two thousand bullets finish bursting now will we?"

"Okay, where is he?"

"No one knows. Little Joe came in to ask us to lock up Hoss. He sat Hoss down in the chair by the fire where he dozed off. See, Sheriff Coffee didn't want to lock up Hoss for no reason. While he and Little Joe were palavering about it, Hoss must have thrown in the boxes from the firewood stack and figured the rest were for burning too. We think he went outside to use the Necessary. At least, that's the last place anyone said they saw him." In those times, the outhouse was termed the 'Necessary.'

"Okay, Clem, I got the idea. Send the bill to the Ponderosa. If anyone got hurt, we'll pay the doctor. When I find him, I'm locking him up in the root cellar."

"I don't care where you lock up Hoss this year so long as it isn't in Virginia City!"

Both men heard more bullets go off in another round of explosions. Someone came running to say the place caught fire, too. Oh this Spring Fever was one for the record books. Pa was going to explode like a barrel of gunpowder on the 4th of July when he got the bill for a whole new Jail. Adam went to the Virginia City Fire Brigade to start operating the water pumps. If they didn't deal with the fire, the whole town would burn. Mostly it was made of wood from the Cartwright sawmill, but that was beside the point. As of 1863, very few stone buildings existed. If they didn't work fast, Virginia City was about to go up in flames. A natural leader, Adam organized the bucket brigade to douse the buildings nearest the Jail before sparks could take hold. The fire bell was still clanging when the Stage arrived. Realizing that the passengers didn't know the danger, Adam rushed across the street to tell the driver to go farther to the hotel away from the Jail and why.

"Charlie, just do it. There's trouble down there. You can't stop. The Jail is on fire which is setting off their store of bullets."

"Thanks Adam," Charlie the Overland Stagecoach driver for the Placerville to Virginia City route knew everyone and they him. Before he could say 'giddyap', the door swung open, and a woman in a blue dress alighted and tripped, pitching headlong into Adam. He caught her by reflex.

"You can't stand here, ma'am. It's not safe."

"It never was standing next to you, Adam," the soft voice said with a hard edge.

"Anne?"

"So it would seem, Adam."

"I can't talk now. Go to the Hotel and wait. I'll find you there. Charlie, take her now!"

"You two know each other?"

Adam rolled his eyes. This day just got worse and worse.

"I should say so, Driver."

Adam took her by the hand and pulled her down the street toward the hotel. She tried to shake him off, but he just scooped her up and carried the woman a whole block before setting her down.

"Gaining weight there, Anne," Adam snarked. "Now be a good girl and wait in the hotel."

"Same old Adam, giving orders when a simple request would do."

She huffed off. Adam watched her go to be certain she went before returning to the fire brigade. Four hours later and two burned buildings plus one burned Necessary, Adam wiped his brow from the sweat and soot.

"I think that's it." Sheriff Coffee proclaimed. "Thank you all for your diligence." He turned to go and decided to speak to Adam instead. "Adam, I want a word with you." The two men walked off. Adam had that look of knowing what was coming and finding it all part of the absurdity that had become his life that day.

"Clem told me about Hoss. Send us the bill, Roy."

Roy Coffee was an older man who had seen it all and still had a cheerful friendly disposition as long as he didn't have to draw on you. He usually used his wits more than his gun being the sly old fox he was. Using his wits kept him alive long enough to come close to retirement. Coffee was also a friend of Ben Cartwright. Even so, something had to be done about a new Jail.

"Oh I will, never you fear. What I want to say is no one can find Hoss. It's like he just vanished off the face of the Earth. We looked hoping to track him down by the snores, but no one has seen him since the bullets started exploding. On one hand, that's good because we didn't find any blood. On the other we aren't sure he isn't shot and lying somewhere unconscious. I've got some men searching door to door. You got any idea where he could have wandered off to?"

"None, Roy," Adam said wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "He's barely been conscious for two days. We were hoping you would lock him up this year."

"Too late for that," Roy said with some pique. "I don't have a Jail any more. He's all yours." Roy jabbed Adam with his forefinger in the chest. "And I want him out of Virginia City until his bout with the Fever is over and all of you swear he's through it. And tell your Pa, this time I want a cast iron potbellied stove in the Jail not a fireplace."

"Yes Roy, I got the message." Adam walked off to find Joe and figure out which houses and businesses folks had searched. "Joe, find him yet?"

"No Adam and I'm worried. We covered most of town on that side but nothing. We are about to start this side." Joe had soot and ash all over his green jacket and bushy brown hair. Soot streaked Joe's face, too. "He was sitting right there in the chair by the fireplace. I turned my back on him for one minute, one minute!"

"I heard he was last seen going to the Necessary at the Jail. Did you look in there?"

"It burned down," Joe huffed. "I tell you next year we throw him in the root cellar and lose the key."

"Why wait for next year?" Adam huffed off to look at the remains of the Necessary for any clue or track the big feet of his brother may have left. Joe went with him. The water from the bucket brigade made a muddy mess everywhere around the charred ruins of the Jail. Finally, around the Necessary they found one big boot print that could only have been from Hoss.

"Okay, so we know he came out this way." Joe wiped his eyes, streaming with irritation from the smoke. "I'll track this way. You go that way." The brothers split up trying to pick up another set of boot prints. They circled, doubled back, widened the search and found nothing. "It's like the ground opened up and swallowed him."

Adam's face registered shock. Joe understood in a flash. Frantically, they pulled boards away from what remained of the burned outhouse. Uncovering the hole, both men waved the odors from their noses. Peering down in there, they heard him before they saw him or … smelled him. Hoss was asleep in the pit of the Necessary.

"He must have taken cover when the bullets started flying," Joe said in disgust. Adam clapped him on the shoulder.

"Since **_YOU _**were supposed to lock him up, you get him out of there and make him take a bath before we ride home."

Now he had to go to the hotel to deal with his ex-wife. Somehow, Adam knew it was a side effect of Hoss' Spring Fever that she showed up after ten years. Adam stood up and walked off holding both arms out and bending backwards to shout at the sky.

"WHY ME?!"

Pausing on C Street, Adam dipped his kerchief into the stream of water coming from the pump at the firehouse. Virginia City did not have fire trucks. It had several pumps that could be manned with lots of buckets. Covered in soot and ash, Adam washed his face, neck, and hands. Giving up, he stuck his whole head under the cold flow to wash the grime out of his hair. More fastidious than most folks on the frontier, Adam normally wore a clean shirt most days. Now, this one smelled of smoke. Actually, it reeked from the fire that burned down the Jail and its outhouse. It was torn, too. Adam could not stand it. He marched down the street to the Emporium to buy some clean clothes. He had a date with fate and he was not going looking like that … or smelling like it, either. He also was not in any hurry to go.

In the Emporium, he bought a shirt a little too big and a pair of pants that needed the cuffs adjusted, figuring that could wait. At least he was clean. The sales clerk put his old clothes in a brown paper wrapper. Adam told him to toss them. That smoke would never come out. Too bad, thought Adam, it had been a nice shirt. At least his coat and hat were still at the Cattleman's Association. Once Adam learned of the fire, he dumped his outerwear in the lobby and took off for the bucket brigade. Strolling down the C Street boardwalk, he made his way to the Association building to retrieve his goods.

"Oh there you are, Adam," Walter Prescott called out.

Walt Prescott was a little older than Adam and the owner of a fine large spread just outside of town. Not as wealthy as the Cartwrights, Walt was a force in the area in his own right. Walt had a running grudge against Hoss after the incident with Walt's mail order bride. When Walt broke his leg just before he had to fetch her, he asked Hoss to go get her for him. Hoss obliged as the friendly man he was. Unfortunately, the silly woman fell in love with Hoss while on the trail back. The upshot was the woman refused Walt. Prescott decided Hoss had two-timed him on the way back. Furious and feeling like a cuckold, Walt put a $3000 bounty on Hoss' head. That much money was at least ten years income to most folks. Sure, a couple of bushwhackers tried to cash in. At the last possible second, Walt shot them himself. Since then, the Cartwrights and he had an uneasy truce. Today, Walt wanted to rub their noses in the disaster.

"Walt, I'm in a hurry. Can it wait?"

"As you know I'm President of the City Council, Adam. We are missing one Jail." Adam winced. Walt smirked with pleasure at the reaction. "You see a few of us want to know what you Cartwrights are going to do about the situation."

"We'll build another one," Adam put on his coat and hat. "Don't worry."

"Oh yes you will, but that's not my immediate concern. What are the fine upstanding _NORMAL_ citizens of Virginia City supposed to do until that happens? We need a jail. As it is our job to look out for the citizens of Virginia City, the Council took a vote. It was unanimous. We decided the Cartwrights should use the Ponderosa to confine any wayward soul who needs some time to wait for a trial or a good hanging. Then there is the matter of the drunk tank for Saturday nights. We usually fill up with ten or twenty men needing to sleep it off before the Sheriff will let them loose. He also collects a fair amount of revenue for the town with all the fines. Seeing as Hoss Cartwright caused this disaster, the City Council has deputized the Cartwrights until a new city jail is erected."

To Adam's horror, Prescott pinned a tin star on his jacket and stuffed three more in the pocket. "But, but, you can't be serious!"

"See your father and brothers get theirs. We are holding you personally responsible."

Walt snorted and shuffled out to return to the Bucket of Blood saloon and report to the impromptu Council meeting. As far as he was concerned, the matter was resolved for the near term. It pleased him no end.

Adam stood for a few moments trying to decide what to do first. He could go deal with a certain lady now at the International Hotel or go find Joe and give him the badges. He opted for finding Joe at the bathhouse. Adam had a feeling he would need some extra time in town that evening. Besides, Joe could tell Pa and save Adam the tongue lashing and hollering. In fact, Adam decided he needed a bath, too. It would not do to meet a lady without a bath, now would it? Procrastinating, Adam luxuriated in the hot soapy water. He gave the matter his logic and fine analytical skills for another hour. As Adam saw it, they were not married anymore so he did not have to deal with her. End of story, right? Adam sighed heavily. What a wonderful daydream it would be to walk right up to her and inform her he was in no way obligated to suffer the slings and arrows of her outrageous fortune. Quoting from Hamlet's famous soliloquy, Adam's deep baritone voice rendered the bard's words for his brothers in the tubs next to him.

To be or not to be, that is the question;  
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer  
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,  
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,  
And by opposing, end them…

"What the heck does that mean?" Joe asked soaping up. "And why are you going off on that now?"

"Ah Little Brother, there is much wisdom from the Bard. 'And by opposing, end them…' I think there is reason to that sentiment.'

"Are you saying we should oppose the City Council?"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking of that. You'll figure something out."

"ME! Now hold on a goldarn minute. I did not start this mess. HE," Joe chucked a thumb over to Hoss, "should do the explaining."

"Yeah, that's who you want Pa to hear it from?"

"No I want you to tell him." Joe gave his puppy dog eyes, imploring Adam to pick up the gauntlet. Snores alarmed them as they realized Hoss was slowly sinking beneath the suds. "Should we let him sink?"

"No," Adam stood up to deal with a comatose Hoss. It took both of them to haul Hoss out of the tub, where he promptly pitched over on the wet wooden boards and slept naked and happy.

"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,  
Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,  
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,  
The insolence of office, and the spurns  
That patient merit of th'unworthy takes…"

Adam pondered the idea of what the law could do for him to delay the inevitable. Hadn't enough time passed for this whole matter to be put to rest? They had been divorced for ten whole years. Hoss' snores resonated in the bathhous. Joe shook his head.

"How am I supposed to get him home like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe next time you'll lock him up first and argue about it later." Adam buttoned his new shirt thinking on his more pressing problem. Hoss would survive, although lying naked like that he could catch a cold. The thought of Hoss having a cold and Spring Fever was too much. Adam and Joe sat Hoss up long enough to dry him off.

"He can't wear those clothes home," Joe complained. "I sent them to the laundry but they won't be dry for a long time."

"Yes, that is a problem." Adam thought about it while putting Hoss' big feet back in his boots. He had been dressing Hoss since he was a baby. In some ways, the bear of a man was still a child, simple to the ways of the world.

"I know," Joe exclaimed. "We could borrow some sheets and blankets from the hotel and wrap him up. I can ride it all back in tomorrow."

"The hotel?"

"Sure, the hotel has to have extras."

"The hotel."

"Yes, that's what I said, the hotel." Joe looked quizzically at Adam frowning. "They won't refuse you; besides, someone has to watch over Hoss until we get him covered and on the buckboard."

"I'll watch him. You go to the hotel. You can talk a snake out of his scales."

"Aw no, I had to pull him out of the Necessary's pit. That's enough punishment for one man to take. C'mon Big Brother, you know you have to be the one. If I ask, they'll say no."

"You have a self-confidence problem, you know that?" Adam shook his head thinking the day just got better and better.

"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,  
And thus the native hue of resolution  
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,  
And enterprises of great pitch and moment  
With this regard their currents turn awry,  
And lose the name of action."

"All right, to be… and therefore to suffer the slings and arrows," Adam threw another towel on Hoss and placed one under his big head. Hoss did not miss a beat in his sleep of the just. He snored rhythmically with a smile plastered on his face.

On the way over to the Hotel to get sheets and probably meet his ex-wife, Adam passed by the Bucket of Blood saloon. A raucous fistfight blew out the doors. Two men then another two came tumbling out to settle their dispute with fisticuffs. More men poured out of the double swinging doors to watch. Street brawls constituted a major form of entertainment in the frontier town. So did tearing up saloons. Dave, the bartender, came barreling out shaking his fist. He went up to the second pair and hauled them apart by the scruffs of their necks. Dave was not quite as big as Hoss but he was big enough. Well he was tough enough most of the time. One of the pair pulled a knife and managed to stab Dave right in front of Adam, the new Virginia City Deputy Sheriff. He pulled out his pistol and fired it up in the air to get attention. The first pair didn't care enough to stop. The second did and ran off.

"Drop it or I'll shoot," Adam hollered. "I'm not kidding. You are under arrest for attempted murder."

The man with the knife pulled it out of Dave long enough to throw it at Adam. It was too slippery so it went wild embedding in the wooden pillar holding up the awning over the boardwalk. Too bad, Adam shot him winging the man in his throwing arm. People were shouting for the doctor.

"You with him," Adam boomed. "You're under arrest too for …aiding and abetting."

"Aw shucks, it was an honest fight," complained the second man. "He cheated me out of my poker winnings."

"Tell it to the judge," Adam growled.

Someone examining Dave told Adam Dave would make it. The knife went into the fleshy part of his side.

"They tore up the bar," Dave lamented. "I just got done fixing it up from the last time."

"We'll add that to the charges," Adam said calmly. Deputy Clem Foster showed up at that point to see the calamity. "Got handcuffs, Clem?"

"Sure, sure we do, Adam. We keep them in the Jail. Oh wait! We don't have a Jail anymore." He pushed his hat back to scratch his head. Clem was nice enough but not the sharpest stylus in the box. "Someone get some rope." A couple of men moved to acquire rope. Adam covered Clem while they trussed up the two criminals. "So where are we going to put them?"

"You are going to put them at the Ponderosa," Walt Prescott told them in no uncertain terms as he exited the bar with the rest of the City Council members who were still there. "I believe the circuit judge will be here in two weeks." Walt guffawed, looking straight at Adam. "Isn't that right, Cartwright?"

"Dave, don't you have a cellar or something under the bar?"

"I do but it's full up, Adam. You aren't moving my supplies out either. I just got done putting them all down there because of Hoss. He tore up the bar something awful last year when he had the Fever."

The crowd melted away not wanting to be accosted for room in their establishments. Walt stood there glowering at Adam. "Well Cartwright? You going to stand there all day or haul these men off to your ranch?"

"There has to be a better solution." Adam looked up and down C Street guessing which building might be a good candidate. The problem was that the ground was too hard to dig much of a basement for any of the buildings. All the other buildings were crammed with occupants who practically stacked up over one another. There was a serious lack of housing with the Comstock Silver boom drawing thousands of people into the area every month. He sighed heavily. "Okay, we can take them in the buckboard. Joe is taking Hoss back to the ranch. In the meantime Clem, let's hitch them up to the post here until I can arrange this."

Afterwards, Adam went back to find Joe and tell him there would be two scoundrels that needed a ride.

"Oh NO, NO, NO, Adam, I can't drag Hoss back in a sheet and tell Pa what happened…AND bring prisoners too! You got to think of something Big Brother. Pa will tan my hide."

Adam sighed heavily. There was no way to ease Pa into it now. At 33 yrs old, Adam still had the initial gut reaction to Pa's wrath that he did as a young boy. Of course, he reminded himself that was simply ridiculous. The bigger problem was Hoss. He had no clothes. The Emporium carried nothing even remotely close to Hoss' substantial size and girth. Adam chuckled.

"What's so funny? You think going back with a nekkid Hoss and two prisoners is FUNNY?"

"Actually, I do, Little Brother."

Adam smirked with his never-ending sense of the absurd. Where his brothers were concerned, it was always something…a huge buck nekkid Hoss hauled home was very funny. Joe driving home a huge buck nekkid Hoss comatose in a wagon with two prisoners added to the wonder of his day. But Joe driving Adam, a huge buck nekkid Hoss comatose in a wagon with two prisoners and Adam's ex-wife from Boston made his sides split. It would serve the woman right to have to witness all that. Heck with the sheet… no he had to get the sheet. Hoss was still lying on wet boards in the bathhouse, snoring. If they didn't get him wrapped up soon, he'd catch cold. Adam sighed and pirouetted out the door clapping his hands to his face and wondering how it all happened to him.

Rather than go straight to the Hotel and run into his ex-wife, Adam went door to door to ask for sheets and blankets. It was unlikely there were any extra with the folks who were pouring into the mining boomtown. He tried the leading citizens first. However, most of them were at the Opera House for a performance. Virginia City built Piper's Opera House, which opened in 1863 and still stands today. He went to the ticket counter to ask to speak to the manager.

"Ah Mr. Cartwright, I'm sorry but the performance is sold out."

"I was here on another matter. I need to borrow a costume big enough to fit my brother, Hoss."

The look of horror on the man's face said it all. He waved his hands in front of himself and backed away. "No, no, no, we have a strict policy of never loaning out the costumes."

"What about curtains?"

"No, if it were anyone else, you understand. It takes six months to get new costumes from back East. There isn't even any suitable material here anymore. The miners buy up everything as fast as it arrives. I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright." He fled back into the theater.

Adam knew there was a real problem now. If he couldn't get some sort of material, Hoss would have to wear wet clothes to get out of town. Temperatures were dropping. That was no solution. In desperation, Adam went to the General Store to see if anything was available. He was ready to buy a tent to use on his brother. Unfortunately, nothing in fabric or skins was available. Miners had arrived the day before and bought it all.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright. The passes only opened this week. We had late snows this year. As a result, our first shipment came only last week. Demand was so high after a winter with next to nothing up here that we sold out in a matter of minutes. I'm waiting for the next hundred-mule train to make it over the pass from Sacramento. They are supposed to resume scheduled shipments now. We might have something in another two days."

"Thanks, do you think your wife could spare…"

"I'm sorry Mr. Cartwright, we sold all our spares. We have only what covers our beds. It gets cold at night."

"Right, sorry to trouble you."

There was nothing for it. He had to try the hotel. To avoid his ex-wife, Adam snuck around back to go in through the servants' entrance through the kitchen to the manager's office. Adam told himself that it wasn't cowardice. It was tactical maneuvering. His face fell when the manager and the head housekeeper informed him that it was laundry day at the Hotel. The laundry was still drying. No sheets were available. They only had enough blankets for the clients since the old ones had fleas from the great unwashed, known as miners, who passed through the last week. They paid triple the rate to sleep there since their pockets were full of silver. It was a bad bargain. As a result, the hotel had to burn all of those blankets and mattresses. New straw mattresses were all they had until a new shipment from Sacramento would arrive in two more days. Adam's day wasn't getting any better.

"Tablecloths! You have tablecloths. I'll buy some."

"Sorry Mr. Cartwright, but those linens came special from New York. We are not using them as a blanket for Hoss, especially not when he has the Fever."

"What if I promise to replace them if anything happens?"

"No sir, we know something will happen since Hoss has the Fever. It will take six months by ship to get new ones. I'm sorry."

"But…"

"That's final, Mr. Cartwright."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

It was getting dark and cold in the spring evening so high in the mountains. Virginia City sat at over six thousand feet in elevation. It was on a barren hillside with no trees to act as a windbreak either. The wind was picking up too. Of course it was.

"Can I check Hoss into the Hotel for the night. If he's a customer, he can use the sheets right?"

"We are full up, Mr. Cartwright."

"Of course you are."

Adam slunk out the back again. He had no choice. They had to go home. If they delayed any longer, it would be too frigid for a buck nekkid Hoss even riding in the back of the buckboard with two scoundrels for warmth. Besides, the whole town would never let them live it down. Whatever Anne wanted, it would have to wait. Hoss was the priority tonight. Back on C Street, Adam surveyed the sorry scene. At the end of the block were the charred remains of the Jail and its Necessary. Across the street were two gomers trussed up like Thanksgiving turkeys. Up the street was the bathhouse with a buck nekkid Hoss about to catch his death of cold. Across from the General Store, Adam spied the livery stable. Things were looking up. Adam Cartwright, Deputy Sheriff of Virginia City, ambled over to the two trussed up no good brawlers to have a little conversation.

"How long you gonna leave us like this, Deputy?" The man who didn't knife Dave whined. I need the Necessary."

"Well now, I'm sure you considered that problem when you tore up the saloon, here." Adam sighed, pushing up his black hat to review the situation. "Did you happen to ride into town or drop from the sky?"

"Huh?"

"Where's your horse?"

"In the livery stable," Whiner whined. "I need it bad, Deputy."

"Got any money?"

"You gonna charge me for that?"

"No, I want to pay your stable bill."

"Oh, yeah, I got two dollars in my pocket."

"You have a bedroll on that saddle?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need it. Okay, you get a hall pass to the necessary. C'mon."

Adam helped Whiner up and led him off to the smelly necessary behind the saloon. Once that unpleasant task was over, Adam led the man over to the barn to retrieve his horse and tack. He paid the stable hand and put the things together. Leading the man and the horse out to the buckboard, Adam sighed. Some days were not worth getting out of bed. At the buckboard, he helped the man into the back and tied him and the horse to it. He walked the bedroll over to Joe at the bathhouse.

"What's this?"

"Best I could do. I think I can get another but wrap him up first in this." He tossed it to Joe. "And don't get it wet." Both of them shook Hoss semi-awake enough to help them stand him up.

"I'm hungry, Adam. Ain't it time for dinner, yet?"

He sniffed the air getting scents of suppers cooking all over town. It was a fact that Hoss could smell Hop Sing's cooking a half mile away. One time, rustlers pinned them down behind some rocks, shooting at them for hours. In the shootout, Hoss missed dinner. He got so hungry he swore not only did he smell dinner but named each item. He was correct, as it turned out.

"When we gonna eat?"

"When we get home," Adam said tersely. This would be a problem of gargantuan proportions in another few minutes. A hungry Hoss does not see reason.

"But Adam, I cain't wait that long. I'm so hungry I could eat fried bear fat."

Joe grimaced at the thought of that particularly unsavory sustenance. "Now Hoss, just think of Hop Sing's supper he has waiting. Why I think he said something about fried pork chops, your favorite for tonight."

Adam gave him a withering look. That was exactly the tactic he didn't want to take. Uh oh, Hoss' eyes flew open—wide. "Now we have to get you to the buckboard so we don't keep Hop Sing waiting."

"Cain't we git something afore we leave? I am starving to death!"

"How is that possible?" Adam hustled the beefy Hoss out of the building. "You have plenty of reserves."

"Preserves? I like strawberry and peach, but I don't like elderberry so much. Where we gonna eat, Adam?"

"I told you, at home."

"But I got to have something before that, it's an hour home."

"You'll live."

"Adam, I got cravings bad. It's the Fever." Hoss sniffed the air. "Ain't Miss Sally cooking some greens and …_sniff sniff_…beef stew? Oh she makes great beef stew. And her peach cobbler," Hoss rolled his eyes to heaven. "It tastes just like summertime. Sometimes she puts cream all over it too." He licked his lips facing towards Sally's Café.

"Hoss, you aren't dressed for it," Joe cajoled him. "Just think of the lemon pie Hop Sing has at home for you."

Hoss' eyes went wide into ecstasy thinking about lemon pie, fried pork chops, greens, and cream on peach cobbler. He broke free and went lumbering off toward the café. Adam and Joe tried to get in his way to stop him. The rope holding together the bedroll was coming undone. Single-minded, Hoss barreled along.

"Hoss, you can't go in there looking like that," Joe patted Hoss' face to get his attention.

"Then I'll go to the back door, Joe. You'll see. Miss Sally likes me a fair bit." With that, it was impossible to change his mind. Adam shrugged and tossed Joe a silver dollar to deal with it, while Adam went back to the desperado still tied up outside the saloon.

"You got a horse in the stable or somewhere?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Well, if you don't you can walk the six miles to the Ponderosa over the grade out of town. Besides, there's no reason for the town to pay for stabling your horse when we have a corral at the ranch."

"That's mighty decent of you, friend." The man sneered. "I suppose I'll owe you for stabling my horse."

"It's a thought, but no. If you don't, they'll auction the horse off by the time your trial comes, goes, and you are sent off to prison. If it's decent, we might consider buying it from you. Or you can sell it to your partner."

"What partner? Him? Oh no, we just met at the poker game."

"Suit yourself. Get up," Adam hauled him up. "It's a long walk."

"Okay, yeah, he's tied up over there by the telegraph office."

"Show me." They strode over to a big bay gelding that also had a bedroll on it. "Well you got lucky today," Adam said.

Leading off the horse and the man, Adam hailed Joe who came towards them leading a happily munching Hoss who carried a tin pail full of stew. He had the first man's bedroll secured around his chest. Oblivious to his surroundings, Hoss ambled along under the bedroll, which flopped as he walked in his boots across the street, stopping every so often to dig out a tender morsel. With Joe urging him forward, Hoss and his brothers converged on the buckboard to start the trip home. Hoss stopped again in the middle of the street to catch the last chunk that eluded his spoon.

"C'mon Hoss, stop dawdling. You can finish that on the way home," Adam called out irritated beyond measure. "Joe, will you get our brother to hurry up? You can round up steers better than that."

"Oh how the mighty have fallen."

A woman's voice said it with disdain from the boardwalk next to the buckboard. Adam knew that voice. Of course, she would have to show up at this particular moment. After he had secured the second man to the buckboard, he turned casually to smirk at her. There she was, immaculately groomed in a blue dress with upswept brown hair and a patrician face that left her opinion on her pretty face. She eyed his tin star, then let her gaze drift to Hoss still munching stew with only a bedroll tied around his girth. She cocked an eyebrow and let her attention turn to the two men trussed up in the buckboard. Then she looked at Little Joe with an arm full of wet clothing, tugging at Hoss to get him to move out of the street. A small upturn to the side of her lovely rosebud lips accompanied her survey of Adam's oversized mismatched emergency clothing with the unhemmed pant legs. The normally dapper Adam was a mess. She snorted and let the thought hang.

Adam folded his arms across his chest, leaning back against the buckboard. With a puckish smile, he considered her standing there so lovely and judgmental before him. It was not how he wanted to meet her. But then nothing was working out today. Just as boldly, Adam raked her with his eyes. She hadn't aged much. The years had been kind. Well, they had married young after all. He glanced to her hands, but she was wearing gloves. A woman like that would have remarried. However, she was traveling alone.

"Let's have it."

"Have what?"

"Fine, I'll be back in two days."

"I'll be at the hotel, registered as Mrs. Adam Cartwright."

"You are no longer Mrs. Adam Cartwright."

"Oh but I am. The lawyers made a mistake." She turned and walked away in no hurry at all. Her fur trimmed cape matched her fur trimmed hat and muff. She was comfortable in the dropping temperatures.

"Who is that?" Joe asked after guiding Hoss into the wagon.

"That is Anne."

"Anne."

"My ex… er…my wife?" Adam said appraising her as she sauntered away.

"That's Anne!" Joe was worried. It was not like Adam to be so unconcerned about something so important. "You didn't invite her to stay at the house?"

"No." Adam unfolded his arms and launched off the side of the buckboard. "Let's get these men home."

"But Adam," Joe confronted him, grabbing his shoulders. "You've got to do something."

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

"Did you know she was coming?"

"No, she didn't see fit to inform me. So I don't see how it is my problem."

"Adam, you can't mean it. It will get all over town!"

"What's done is done." He climbed into the passenger side of the rig. "Drive us home, Joe."

"Uh, Adam, she could say anything."

"I am a man more sinned against than sinning." Adam quoted the Bard.

"Aw come on Adam, cut it out. She's going to tell everyone. This is the worst thing that could happen!"

"The worst is not, so long as we can say 'This is the worst'." Adam quoted Shakespeare again in a deep rumbling baritone.

"Pa's going to love this," Joe grumbled.

"Now that's the worst!"

While rethinking the problem, Adam watched the disappearing figure of his ex-wife or maybe his current wife, he wasn't sure, window shopping slowly back to the hotel. Standing in the late afternoon twilight, he had a decision to make out there on the C Street boardwalk. Should he go home with the prisoners and deal with her later? After all, the hotel was full up. Or, should he claim the woman and drag her off to the ranch like a caveman, by the hair. The hair option had a certain satisfaction for him. Since she had already registered at the hotel as his wife, the news was already making the rounds. In tomorrow's edition of the local newspaper, _The Territorial Enterprise_ would be the story of the fire and certainly a comment about Adam's new appointment as Deputy Sheriff. Of course, they would also mention that his WIFE showed up unexpectedly as well. Like the Immortal Bard said, 'what's done is done.' The bigger question was why didn't she keep it a secret and use it against him? She seemed to WANT everyone to know she was there and married to her long lost husband. In Victorian times, divorce was a shameful situation for both parties. Rarely did anyone divorce to the point people hid the fact if they could. Some simply separated and moved away from each other. Adam had a huge problem in that no one in Virginia City knew he was divorced, let alone ever married.

"I'm done," Hoss announced. "I'll just return the pail to Miss Sally's. He climbed down off the wagon to trundle off to the café. Joe leapt down and hustled after him.

"Hoss, Hoss, you go sit in the wagon. I'll go return the pail."

"Thanks, Little Brother," Hoss said satisfied. "Only, I was hoping for a slice of her apple pie. She'd give it me if I was standing there."

"I'll get the pie," Joe promised. "I'll get you the whole pie. Just go sit down in the wagon." He pushed his oversized brother who stood like a statue in the middle of the street again. "Aw c'mon, Hoss, just this once do as I ask?"

"I always do as you ask. Then, I get into lots of trouble."

"What are you talking about?"

"Every dad burn time you want me to do somepin', Pa has to punish us. I remember that bank you made me rob. You had me crossing half the country like some bandit to cash them bonds in Placerville. Then we got robbed ourselves of the money. Then we had to tell Pa we got robbed. Then he made us turn ourselves in but the robbers had our horses. So you made me walk and steal mules. I still got lumps where that wiry little feller beat me upside the head. Then we had to kill them varmints what stole the money from us. I don't care what you told Pa how you pushed them in the river. They is dead. Now I done robbed a bank, stole mules, and killed two thieving bankers all on account of your say so." Hoss pushed Joe out of the way, stomping off for pie. "I ain't listening no more."

"But Hoss, Hoss, what about all the times you did listen to me and it turned out great?"

"Ain't recalling none of them times. That's a fact."

"Hoss, you won $500 in that flapjack eating contest. You got $500 whole dollars just because of my brilliant idea."

"Uh huh, and you kept me hungry for a WEEK to do it!" Hoss moved Joe aside bodily again. "And if'n I'd lost you made it so I would have owed $2500 not you."

"Hoss, Hoss, there is NO WAY you could have lost a flapjack eating contest. I mean come on, admit it. You LOVE flapjacks. You can out eat any man in the Territory. It was no contest."

"Uh huh, well that little feller nearly et as much as me. If'n I hadn't offered him my vinegar, he'd have won. As it was he threw up disqualified hisself. You weren't around. I had to think of it myself."

"I thought you said you were helping him…" Joe had a look of pure surprise. "You did that on purpose?"

"What you take me fer, Joe? I knowed you always thought of me as a fool. Git outta my way." He shoved Joe to the side. "I want pie."

"I never… oh no Hoss, I never once thought of you as a fool." Joe tried to push Hoss away from the front of the Café. "At least go to the back again," he pleaded with his sincere wounded eyes looking so pathetic up at Hoss. Hoss grunted and lumbered off to the back door. "It was for your own GOOD! Hoss, you needed to take off a few pounds. I was doing you a favor, giving you a goal."

"Huh." Hoss knocked on the door. "Miss Sally, ma'am, I done finished that good stew of yourn. Ma'am it is a fact you are the best cook in town but don't tell Hop Sing I said so. Ma'am, I was wondering…."

"Of course you can Hoss," Miss Sally batted her eyes at him. She was a little rotund herself and fancied Hoss. He knew it. As long as she fed him, he was content to pay a call on her now and then. She cut him a slice of pie and handed it to him. "You know, Hoss, there's a dance Saturday night. I got a new dress."

"Uh huh, this is some kind of wonderful, ma'am. Thank you ever so kindly." He ignored the hint. Motioning to Joe to pay up, he nodded his thanks and trundled off. She stared after him longingly until she saw Joe watching.

"Haven't you something better to do than stand around my kitchen, Little Joe? Your brother had a hard day. Go help that darling man. Go on with you," she shooed him out. "Give my regards to your Pa."

"Right, Pa."

Joe quickly shut the door and ran after Hoss, munching on a big slice of pie. Back at the buckboard, Adam was nowhere to be seen. Joe shrugged and made Hoss get in. Hoss fussed until Joe threw the other bedroll over him for warmth. It was then Hoss started rocking the wagon.

"Dad burn it, I got the crawlies." Hoss threw off the bedrolls scratching and twisting, "Goldurn crawly skins, Gaaa!"

Frantically, He twisted and scratched. The buckboard couldn't take it when Hoss suddenly stood up and reached way back on his back losing his balance. The whole buckboard tipped over, breaking into splinters as Hoss rolled on the ground trying to scratch. Not even caring about the loss of the bedroll and his exposure, Hoss climbed into the frigid water in the horse trough and submerged. He dunked and dunked himself until he was sure he had drowned the fleas. Only then, he had a bigger problem. He was buck nekkid again.

"What is wrong with you people," the Whining prisoner demanded? He managed to right himself to sit up against the boardwalk. He had landed in a pile of horse droppings in the street. Joe was starting to scratch as well. The other man was out cold.

"Nits," Hoss bellowed. "You got nits!" He held up a drowned louse. "You got fleas too."

"I ain't got no nits! I ain't scratching. Go figure."

All three looked at Mr. Knife and understood. Hoss wasn't scratching until Joe threw the other blanket on him. Joe suddenly took off his green jacket and threw it on the ground. Reaching back to scratch like a dog with fleas, Joe hopped around in the street with the same problem as Hoss. Meanwhile, Adam found Anne on the street closer to the hotel. Joe was right. He had to do something.

"Hold up there, Anne," Adam called out before he caught her arm. She shook him off. "Okay," he held up both hands. "Now what's this all about?"

"I told you. Or have you gotten so old you lost your hearing?"

"How did the lawyers make a mistake?"

"I don't understand it myself. So I brought all the papers to let you look through it."

"And you just found out about it now after ten years?"

"Oh I found out about it last summer. But I'm not going to discuss it out on the street."

"Yes, you are right about that. Look, I'm sorry I was so rude to you. It's been a bad day." Adam threw her his charming smile. She gave him a cutting glance. "Seeing as how you came all this way to deal with it, come stay with us at the ranch until we can figure out what to do."

"I don't know, Adam." She regarded him coolly, looking askance at his attire. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You probably don't have enough room." She said it shaking her head at his appearance. "And I am certainly not sharing a room with you."

Adam sighed. "Anne, a lot of unusual things happened today. I don't normally dress like this. I wanted to clean up for you after the fire. My mistake, I should have come to you right away." She wasn't buying it. "Anne, we have plenty of room at the ranch. You'll get your own room." She gave him a look that showed she didn't believe him.

"Adam, it's all right. I understand your family is not doing very well. If you had to become a deputy to keep your brothers fed and clothed, well that's what you had to do. You don't have to convince me everything is fine."

"Everything is fine. Trust me, you'll be well cared for at the ranch." Anne snorted in disdain, thinking he was putting up a front because he was ashamed. "We have a large house with a cook and his helpers. You won't have to worry about anything."

"And you expect me to believe it after that little performance in the street?"

"It's not what it looks like. See the jail burned down because Hoss accidentally threw a box of cartridges in the fire thinking the box was firewood…."

"Adam, I know the Jail burned down. Everyone can smell it. They are all talking about how your brother did it. Honestly, Adam, just stop pretending. We'll deal with all of this the way things are."

"I am NOT pretending, Anne. For your information…" he stopped realizing if she knew about the fire being caused by Hoss, she probably had heard plenty more.

"Poor Adam, after ten years this is the best you could do out here?" She mocked him. "You had such promise." She shook her head. "You could have been a prominent architect in Boston. My family would have seen to it."

"Speaking of your family, how come you are all the way out here by yourself?"

"I grew up, Adam, or didn't you notice?"

"Yes, you have and it suits you." He smiled, trying to get things back on track. "So you just decided to come out here and look me up? Why didn't you send a telegram?"

"I did and sent a letter, too, but I'm guessing now that you never got it. They say that the Indians sometimes way lay the stagecoaches and throw the mail all over the prairies."

"Yes, that is true," he admitted. "I never got a telegram."

"Adam, there's a war on. Plenty of times, the rebels have cut the wires out in Kansas and Missouri. I don't know what happened to the telegrams. So, I decided to deal with this in person. These documents are too important to lose."

Adam sighed. She was trying to do the right thing. Actually, he admired her for it having been so afraid to come home with him from Boston. She could have hired someone to do it for her, but she was making sure herself. She was so unlike the young girl he left behind in Boston a decade ago. Anne refused to go West with him afraid of the unknown. As a result, he tried to complete his apprenticeship with a well-known architect but was miserable in the confines of a big city. He was homesick, too. If he wanted to be honest with himself, all of this was his fault not hers. He tried it there and couldn't stand it. After four years in college and two at work, he told her they were moving to the Ponderosa. She filed for divorce. He was 23 and she was 20 years old. Now they were both in their thirties standing in Virginia City after all, and apparently still married.

"I'm sorry, Anne. Really, I mean that. Come home with me. We are doing fine. Today, well, today is a mess. Honest, we'll take good care of you. Pa would have a fit if I didn't bring you home. He always wanted to meet you."

"Adam, I'd like to believe that. In the morning, you can come and drive me out to your ranch for a visit. If everyone is agreeable, I'll consider it." They looked at each other with more compassion. Adam took her hand and blew a kiss on it. "I'm glad your father is still alive. I know how much he meant to you."

Her eyes flashed some anger. What she didn't add was that his father always meant more to him than she ever did. It still made her angry. Looking up and down the street in this dirty dump of a village, she could not imagine what it had to have been like ten years ago before the Comstock Lode. She read the newspaper accounts of the Washoe Excitement as it was called back East. The papers recounted how people endured unimaginable hardships trying to find food and shelter.

"Adam!" Joe came running up. "Nits! That dang bedroll had nits!"

Anne looked horrified, snatching her hand away from Adam. Adam's face fell. "He wasn't scratching before."

"The second one, it had the nits. Now he's dunked himself in the horse trough and can't get out." Joe was breathless. "He's nekkid again," Joe whispered to Adam because they were in front of a lady. "And, he tipped over the wagon fighting the nits. It busted the wheel. I got the two prisoners tied up to a post. And I unhitched the horses. But, we have to find something to cover him."

"Where's your jacket?" Adam demanded.

"Nits!" Joe scratched behind his back. "I'm going back to the bathhouse until you figure something out."

"It's always something with you two." Adam sighed. "We can't leave him in the horse trough. It's too cold."

"I know that, but how are we going to get him across the street to the bathhouse nekkid? We'd have to arrest him for indecent exposure. Now how would that look? And he's a deputy too!" Joe smiled at Anne. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm Joe Cartwright."

"I'm Anne Cartwright, Adam's wife."

"Yes, he just told me. I thought you two were divorced."

"We did too." She said tersely. "Okay, Hoss has no clothes. You have nits. The wagon is busted. And you have two prisoners on your hands. What can I do?"

"Anne, if you would be kind enough to strip your bed and drop the sheets and blankets to me, I can wrap them up and get them home."

"How, the wagon is busted."

"Right, but maybe I can hire a wagon or a buggy at the livery stable."

"Tell you what," Anne said sternly. "You go rent it. Once you have it, I'll drop the bedclothes out my window. It's the one overlooking the side street. Then I'll come down and complain that my sheets are gone. I'll say I won't stay in such a place and join you saying I'm going to the boarding house. Meet me by the boarding house, over there." She pointed at the Widow's Boarding house. "Around the back."

Adam smiled broadly and gave her a kiss, which made her startle and flinch. "You've changed, Anne. Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet."

Adam and Joe lit off for the livery to try to get transportation. All they could get was a buggy but it was enough. Hoss, Anne, and the two prisoners could ride in the buggy. Joe and Adam could ride the saddle horses. Adam maneuvered the buggy down below the hotel window so she could drop the sheets and blankets down to him. Then he went to give Joe the signal to dunk himself in the horse trough to get rid of his nits. For good measure, he dunked the unconscious nit infested prisoner in first. That woke the man up. He started hollering he was drowning. Joe pushed his head under a few times and then helped him out. Stripping quickly, Joe dunked himself. By then Adam had the prisoner in the buggy with a sheet around him. Hoss had another sheet on because the blanket was too small. Joe got the blanket. Sure enough, Anne came huffing across the street hauling her luggage bag toward the boardinghouse. Adam nodded to her as she made it to the side street. Then Hoss drove the buggy over to her on the side street so they could make their escape.

"If I had known life out here could be so much fun…" She winked at Hoss.

"Yes, ma'am." Hoss said not knowing what to say to her. "I'm Hoss Cartwright, ma'am. So you're Anne."

"I'm Anne."

"Uh huh, giddyap," Hoss flicked the reins. "This should be powerful interesting tonight."

Nearly two hours later, the buggy and riders pulled up to a halt in the courtyard of the Ponderosa between the barn and the house. By then it was dark. Lanterns hung brightly on the outside of the house, illuminating the front door and the porch. Anne gave the two-storey log cabin a look of disdain. It didn't look like much from the front side in the dark. What she couldn't see was how far back the house extended or how grand it would be inside. She sighed heavily thinking she had given up a decent bed for a rustic hovel. Politely, Adam dismounted to help her down. He figured to let Hoss and Joe slip in the back to get some clothes, while their father came out to greet the buggy.

Alas, it was not to be. Ben Cartwright exited the barn to stand shocked at the sight of a buggy, two strange saddle horses, and six odd people in his front yard. In the dim light cast by the porch lanterns, he realized the big bulk had to be Hoss, but he didn't recognize the horses or the other fellows wrapped in long yards of fabric. The cold wet prisoner started hollering how cold and wet he was, calling it torture. The other one kicked him. The fight was on. Even tied up and wrapped in a sheet, the wet prisoner fought and cursed a blue streak. Hoss leaned down to separate them causing his sheet to drop. Adam shielded Anne's eyes immediately, but she was laughing too hard. Joe tried to cover Hoss, but got a kick landed squarely where a man would least appreciate it. He went down in the fetal position unable to breathe. Rolling in pain, Joe's blanket fell off him. Three naked men lay or stood in front of Ben and a woman. It was too much.

"**_WHAT IN TARNATION IS GOING ON HERE!!!!",_** Ben roared, full blast. _**"THUNDERATION! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS!!!!"**_

"Uh, no Pa, we caught these here varmints stabbing Dave the bartender. We's deputies now." Hoss yanked the two men off to the barn to toss them in the hayloft and tie them up.

"_**STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE!"**_ Ben put his hands on his hips. Regaining a modicum of control, he addressed Adam. "Does anyone, _**ANYONE**_ want to tell me what the sam hill is going on?"

"Please, Pa, a lady…" Adam gestured to Anne whom he had turned around with her back to the proceedings.

"What lady would ride through the night with three naked men! Tell me that!" Ben huffed.

"My wife, Pa," Adam said with a smirk. "This is Anne, from Boston."

Old Ben Cartwright blinked not sure he heard correctly. "Your...?"

"My wife, Pa. Isn't that something?" He had that smug look which said all the absurdity just had to be appreciated.

"But…" Ben saw Adam holding her, shielding her eyes. "I want to see you in the house, NOW!" He stalked off. Turning to point at Hoss, _**"AND GET SOME CLOTHES ON BOY!"**_

"Yes sir Pa, as soon as I tie them up."

"_**I SAID NOW!!!!"**_

Hoss dropped the culprits and hustled off to the front door to obey. Adam spun Anne around to shield her eyes only to see the naked prisoner and a naked Joe. Taking off his coat, Adam threw it over her head. She was shaking with laughter.

"_**I'll be a cockeyed mule if I know what is wrong with you three. I raised you right! Now get her in the house!"**_

"Sorry Pa, but someone has to deal with the prisoners."

Adam let her go, still covered in his jacket. She slyly raised it up to see which way she was pointed. Adam crossed over to the two men and hauled them into the barn to tie them up. Joe hastily grabbed the blanket to cover himself and rushed to the house.

"_**HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"**_ Ben saw the tin star on Adam's jacket. _**"Deputies since when? And why don't you leave them in the Jail in town?"**_

Adam gave his father the cat that ate the canary look. "In for a penny in for a pound," Adam grinned. "Why don't you ask Hoss? He burnt it down."

"_**JOSEPH!"**_ An angry Ben Cartwright stopped his youngest son dead in his tracks. Fearfully turning to face his father only wrapped in a blanket, Joe swallowed hard. _**"WHY are you naked?"**_

"Nits, Pa," he smiled weakly. "The prisoners gave us nits. So we dunked in the horse trough to get rid of them." He shrugged. "I think we got them."

Ben's mouth dropped open in shock. "Nits? My boys NITS? Don't you dare go in the house before you bathe. And get your brother out too. **HOP SING! HOP SING!!!!** Ben roared.

"What you holler for Mr. Cartwright?" Hop Sing, the houseman, saw Joe standing wrapped in a blanket. Then he gasped at the two outlaws one naked on the ground and all in front of a lady. "Lady you no look. It not proper. Why Joe stand there like that?"

"Nits, Hop Sing, the boys have nits." Ben said in befuddled horror. "Get the special soap."

Hop Sing rattled off his opinion of that in Chinese so fast he didn't take a breath. Shouting in Chinese, he pointed for Joe to take the way around the house to the back. "Hop Sing get the special soap. No more nits after Hop Sing get through with naughty boys." Joe gulped. His puppy dog eyes said he knew what was coming. Resigned, he slunk off around the house. Hop Sing marched off to roust Hoss. Yelling in Chinese all anyone could make out was, **"MR. HOSS, YOU COME DOWN HERE NOW. YOU NO TOUCH ANYTHING!"** And a stream of Chinese invective could be heard all the way into the house.

With that Adam hustled the two outlaws into the barn closing the door behind him. Screams could be heard coming from the barn. Anne cringed at what might be happening in there. Before she had time to ask, Hoss came barreling out in his pants and no shirt with Hop Sing chasing him with a broom, shouting in Chinese. Hoss tried to protect his head with his arm as Hop Sing landed another blow.

"I'm out. I'm out. Okay, I'm out. I didn't touch nothing, Hop Sing. OW!" Hoss ran for it. "OW, dad burn it I'm out okay?"

"_**HOSS!!!!!!!!!!!"**_ Ben's roar stopped Hoss in his tracks. Hoss looked around with a wild look in his eyes for a place to flee. _**"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BURNED DOWN THE JAIL?"**_

"Well, I didn't exactly burn it down, Pa. I mean it burned down. But I didn't try to burn it or the Necessary." Hoss caught Anne's eye and blanched. "Honest, it was the Fever. I had it something bad."

"A necessary, you burned down a necessary too?" Ben said more softly regaining some control. "Okay boy, tell it slow."

"You see Pa, Joe took me to the Jail saying he had some bidness with Sheriff Coffee. I set down by the fireplace to wait. The fire was pitiful so I threw on some empty wooden boxes they had there for kindling. Only it weren't nearly enough. So I threw on some more boxes only they weren't empty. I didn't know I swear Pa. Joe palavered so long with the Sheriff that I went out to the necessary." Ben groaned, knowing this was another one of Hoss' interminable explanations. "Only the gunshots scared me real bad. They was coming out of the Jail in every direction. So I had no choice. I had to hide."

"Who was shooting, Hoss?" Ben said very patiently because Hoss bollixed. "Out with it."

"No one was shooting, exactly, Pa."

"No one was shooting. Then HOW were there gunshots?"

Hoss grimaced so badly he looked like he swallowed a frog. He gulped looking for an escape, but Ben had closed the gap between them to block Anne's view of the half-naked man. Hoss backed up. He backed up some more. He backed up until his back hit the kitchen wall. Hop Sing closed in with the broom and an air of deep anger. Anne watched the huge man cower before his father and a broom-wielding servant. Her eyes went wide. Hoss saw her eyes. It set him off. He ran for it. Hop Sing went after him with the broom.

"I'll tell you later, Pa," Hoss called back. "After, I deal with the nits."

As large as he was, Hoss could be light on his feet if he had to. "You no mess up house Hop Sing just cleaned. You bad boy!" Hop Sing screamed something in Chinese and chased him to the rear. From behind the kitchen, the sounds of that commotion reached Ben and Anne. Anne stood face to face with a confused irate father-in-law. He stared at her. She stared right back at him. He looked towards the barn, then her. He cocked his head to one side. She nodded silently. Ben's eyes and expression softened immediately. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. Then her eyes crinkled in a smile. Cold, she drew Adam's coat around her shoulders and shivered a little. Ben remembered his manners.

"Please, let's go inside where it is warm. So you are Anne," he said with concern. "Maybe you can tell me what this is all about."

"Oh, I wouldn't deprive Hoss of that pleasure for all the world, or Adam either, Mr. Cartwright."

She let him usher her inside. Ben carefully took off Adam's coat to hang it up. He missed letting it fall to the ground, unable to take his eyes off her. She wasn't like he had imagined her. But, then it had been ten years since Adam came home broken hearted. She turned to look about the great hall of a room with the soaring ceilings and Victorian period furniture. The great stone fireplace had a roaring fire. She moved farther into the room to warm herself after the long cold ride through the mountain night. Ben watched her not knowing how to begin. She was a tall beauty, who moved gracefully, completely confident and serene. Ben admired her composure and …sense of humor. Any other woman would be huffing over the outrage to her sensibilities. She had a quirky smile on her face, standing there silently.

"Oh, allow me," Ben poured two glasses of brandy. "To take off the chill," he explained to be hospitable. She accepted, grateful for something after her ordeal. "Please, won't you have a seat?" He gestured to the chair by the fire, pulling another one up for himself. "This is a surprise."

She inclined her head with light mischief in her expression. Anne was sizing him up after that display of anger outside. She wasn't sure she wanted to stay after all. He was as rough as she had imagined. Standing out there bellowing at the top of his lungs, Anne figured him for the frontier lout she believed they all were. First, she saw the huge brother, wrapped in a blanket tied with a rope standing in the middle of the street eating out of tin pail after burning down the Jail. Unconcerned about anyone or anything, Hoss presented quite a picture standing in just his boots and a blanket in the middle of the street. Hoss running bare naked to the shouts of his father made her chuckle again at the mental image. Little Joe dunking himself and the prisoner in a horse trough after the big brother, because of lice only added to the first impression. But, Adam standing there in tatters with a tin star that said only 'Deputy' not even the Sheriff of this godforsaken dump cinched it. Now she was in a log cabin however large with a rough frontiersman who could barely manage any courtesies a civilized man in Boston would have made already. All of it validated her original concerns ten years ago. Unfortunately, it was unlikely Adam would take her back to town even if there were somewhere to stay. In the morning, she decided to insist on going to Carson City to the hotel.

Ben Cartwright was dumbstruck for a change. She was beautiful, poised, and full of life, the kind of wife he had hoped for Adam. Here she was after all these years not making a fuss, just waiting. He didn't know how to begin after what just happened. He was terribly embarrassed over all the nakedness outside. They waited silently for a few minutes until Ben engaged her in conversation.

"Ma'am, I'm happy to meet you after all this time. What brings you to Virginia City?"

"Looking for Adam, sir," she replied without further explanation.

"Oh, well, yes, I suppose you two would have some things to catch up on," Ben looked around for some way to make conversation. "If you are hungry, there was plenty left over from supper or I can have Hop Sing get you what you would like."

"Thank you, sir, but I ate at the hotel."

"Oh, then what about some coffee and cake?"

"Thank you," she replied to get him to leave. She wasn't about to discuss this with him before she had a chance to talk at length with Adam. Ben got up to get the coffee and prepare a tray while Hop Sing dealt with the catastrophe in the yard. He could hear the yelps and complaints from the window.

"Ow!" Little Joe complained. "Do you have to rub so hard?"

"You sit still." Ben heard a string of Chinese invective. The word 'nit' figured prominently.

"Oh no, Hop Sing, that's not necessary. We only had them for a couple of hours."

"Aw shucks, Joe, take it like a man."

"That's fine for you, but I have a head of hair."

"You want me to hold him for you, Hop Sing?" Ben heard Hoss' deep growl filled with irritation. Some more fussing and another yelp told him, Joe just got scalped to prevent a nit outbreak. Ben shook his head remembering the last time when Joe was just seven years old and contracted it at school from some other kids.

"Dad burn it, Joe, if'n you'd sit still he'd be done with it."

"Lop off an ear while you're at it, why don't you? OW!"

"Okay, you clean. Now you go get dressed. No up the back way. Missy not see bad boys."

Ben came in with the tray of cake, a pitcher of coffee, and the requisite china. He set it down on the coffee table and poured offering the sugar and cream. Anne was surprised at the fine quality of the china and the real silver. The place was not quite as bad as she had imagined it would be. They ate some cake waiting for the others.

"I take it there was some excitement in town today."

"You could say."

"Well Hoss has Spring Fever," Ben began then realized how lame that had to sound. "He's had it every year since he was a boy. Something gets into him and well, ma'am, he's just not himself." She agreed with a small hand gesture as if to say, d'oh I saw that. "These exaggerated attacks can be well, dramatic." She cocked an eyebrow at him. That was the understatement of the year. "One time he burned down the kitchen with one of his lapses." She looked alarmed. "But don't worry, he gets over it soon enough. We'll lock him in tonight, just in case." Now she did give him a look of surprise, narrowing her eyes at such a thing. What kind of man was he? "I know that sounds extreme, but you don't know what we deal with every year at this time."

Fortunately, Adam walked in carrying her luggage. Stagecoaches limited passenger baggage to small bags so the mail could also travel with the coach. Adam set down the bag to unbuckle his gun belt. He hung up both his hat and coat before casually crossing the room to stand next to Anne. She barely registered his entrance, lost in thought.

"Well, I suppose Anne would like to freshen up and go to her room," he said to no one in particular.

"By all means," Ben stood up to let the lady exit. "I hope we can make your stay comfortable, ma'am."

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. I'll be going in the morning."

"Oh, but you just got here," Ben protested. "We'd love to have a chance to get to know you and visit."

"Well, perhaps we can visit in Carson City if they have accommodations. Otherwise, I intend to go back to Sacramento on the next stage."

"Oh I won't hear of it. Please, consider this your home while you are here," Ben said to be gracious. "If we had known you were coming, we would have come to receive you in town."

"Oh, Adam received me, sir," she rose to excuse herself. "Thank you but no."

She stood at the foot of the stairs for Adam to show her the way up. Hoss appeared on the stairs, clomping down in fresh clothing with Little Joe right behind. Both of them had shaved heads. Sheepishly, they avoided her glance. She waited to let them pass. They didn't look much better cleaned up either. Hoss couldn't meet her eye. Little Joe murmured 'ma'am' and sidled past her. Adam gestured for her to go first.

"Ma'am," Hoss said staring at his shoes, "I want to thank you for what you did in town for me…for us." He gestured to Joe. "You were mighty nice to put up with a provokingly peculiar situation. If'n we done anything to offend you, I'm powerful sorry and much obliged for your kindness."

"Um, yes, I, uh, am mighty glad you came along when you did, ma'am." Joe said also staring somewhere else. "It wasn't right for a lady to have to see any of that. I apologize, sincerely. And, I hope you'll stay long enough to know we really aren't like that."

"Yes, ma'am," Ben echoed finding her cool look apparently justified in the extreme. "I want to apologize for that display in the yard, ma'am. I was so embarrassed. I hope you won't think we are always so ungracious to a lady. Please, reconsider and stay with us for a time."

"Thank you, gentlemen, think no more of it, good night."

With that, she glided up the stairs with Adam carrying her bag behind her. He showed her to the well-appointed guest room. It surprised her that such a room would be in a rough place like this one. The double bed was walnut carved in a baroque styling made up in fine pressed linens trimmed in lace and cutwork. The dresser matched. The washbasin and ewer were of the finest porcelain. The fine linen towels hung pressed next to a beautiful large mirror. The polished wardrobe was uncommonly fine of burled walnut and fine inlay. The chair and footstool sat next to the window, looking comfortable. A crystal water decanter and crystal glass were next to the bed. The whole room was immaculately clean. She approved. They turned to face each other. Adam smiled not sure what to do. She looked at him and burst out laughing.

"I guess we didn't do so well at first impressions."

All he got was laughter so infectious, he couldn't help himself. Adam laughed just as hard at the absurdity, too. He remembered her as very serious. It was good to have a laugh after a day like that. He was beginning to think it was good to see her again. After a time, Adam and Anne finally managed to come down from the laughing jag. Wiping their streaming eyes from laughter induced tears, they sat down to look at each other. All the laughter released the tension built up from the anticipation of what horrible thing the other would do. Now they were just human, two people who knew each other a long time ago and were comfortable with one another, to a point.

At thirty, Anne was a woman of intelligence and spirit not the emotional girl who was terrified to leave Boston ten years before. Remembering a somber serious Adam as her husband, she remembered dreading a hard life on the frontier bound to a humorless man driven by various obsessions as they took hold. She met Adam while he was a student, studying engineering. In those days, there was no architecture major. A student studied mathematics and engineering, then apprenticed for two years to an architect. College students could begin anytime from age 16 onward. Adam had started at 17 and met her at 19 when she was just 16 yrs old. Her father ensured the courtship lasted until she was closer to 18 yrs old. He was not impressed with tales of a great ranch far out on the frontier where daily newspaper accounts told of treachery and Indian raids.

Even so, Adam was Captain Abel Stoddard's grandson. Everyone knew of the Stoddards. They owned successful merchant vessels that regularly sailed from Boston Harbor. Mainstays of local society, the Stoddards provided an acceptable context for their grandson. Of course, Ben Cartwright sent sufficient funds to secure the boy in society and pay for college and his apprenticeship. While Adam stayed in Boston, the Stoddards made sure Adam lived with them and met all their contacts. Ben had asked them to find a suitable mate for his eldest, since nearly no women lived on the frontier. What women there were, certainly were not the sort he would want Adam to marry. The Stoddards made sure the social season issued plenty of invitations for their grandson, which is where he met Anne. With reluctance, Anne's father consented to the marriage on the provision that Adam remain in Boston or close by. For their prospective son-in-law, Anne's family ensured that Adam met the right people for the best architectural firm in Boston. With a bright future ahead of him, Adam and Anne married on the condition that Adam stay in or around Boston. None of them understood how miserable the young man was in the stuffy confines of Boston Town. Anne understood least of all. When he announced his desire to leave and return by ship to Lake Tahoe, she was hysterical. It only added to Adam's misery. By then they had been married for two years and still had no children. When Anne filed for divorce, Adam let her invent any charge she wanted to make certain the marriage dissolved so he could return. The last two months, they didn't even occupy the same residence. In the end, Adam returned broken hearted and relieved to resume his life in a place he loved with his Pa and two younger brothers.

After all this time, now she was here.

"So."

"So."

"Anne, I thought I would take you for a ride tomorrow. I'd like to show you a little of the ranch that I told you so much about. I'd like the pleasure of your company," Adam said gallantly. For many years, he had wanted to show her what she had missed. Her reaction was understated.

"Adam, thank you for the kind offer," she replied softly. "First, I would like to speak with you before returning to town in the morning."

"Town, so soon?" Adam was surprised. "Anne, I really would like you to stay on for a while, see what we built here."

"I know. You spoke of it daily while we were together." She cast her eyes down. "However, I am here for a purpose. I don't want to overstay or impose."

_A faint sound of a squawking trumpet sound emanated from below. Adam swallowed not wanting to seem to have heard it. Anne's head swiveled toward the sound. Adam quickly responded to draw her attention back to himself._

"It's no imposition, but I am curious why you made this long and dangerous trip." She hesitated trying to formulate it. Adam spoke reassuringly. "Suppose you explain the problem as you understand it."

"I could but I might be wrong in some particulars. I planned to hand the file to the attorney. I have copies for you, which are notarized and official."

_Faintly they heard a sort of trumpeting sound. Adam squirmed a little pretending he didn't hear anything. Anne paused thinking she heard something but then it was quiet._

"As you were saying, but I would like to hear it from you first."

"Very well, it seems that you left before the final decree and before the last papers had to be filed. They didn't have your signature on several things they needed. Somehow, the clerk overlooked it. When I went to do some business last year, I found out that I needed my husband's signature. I explained that we were divorced. However, they assured me we weren't. I hired an attorney to look into it and sure enough, we aren't." She sighed. "I tried to contact you but heard nothing in response. It isn't fair to you either to be entangled with me. I suppose you will want to remarry or have remarried. I don't know. I don't want to be open to a charge of bigamy any more than you do or unable to conduct my own affairs."

"I see. Thank you," Adam said sincerely. "Are you contemplating remarrying?"

"No."

"Oh, well, I haven't remarried either." He studied her face, which was composed and serious.

_Faint screams came drifting up from outside. Anne gave Adam a querulous look. He composed himself in his best poker face. She decided it was strange but he continued quickly._

"This business you need to conduct, is there anything I can do to help you complete it besides sorting out the divorce?"

"As I understand it, if you sign the papers, you would be obligated for any debt or liability I might contract. I'm sure you do not want to be entangled in my business affairs. To be careful, we shall have to stipulate in the divorce agreement, what assets are my separate property. I prepared all the necessary documents in advance."

"I see," Adam said carefully.

_More screeches that resonated with screams reached the room, which overlooked the side of the house next to the corral and was closest to the barn. _

Adam hurried to add, "Of course I would stipulate to all of that." He saw her relax, ever so slightly. "Anne, you know I would never claim your money as my own."

"The Adam I knew would not. I wasn't sure about the Adam these many years later. Still and all, we are strangers to one another. I will make a full disclosure about what is involved financially. As my husband, technically, you own everything I have. My lawyer advised me that you have to know what you are giving up or the agreement is not binding."

"I appreciate that you are concerned. Please don't be. What's yours is yours," Adam said sincerely.

"Thank you."

_Again a strange cross between a scream and a trumpet came from below. Adam crossed his legs giving her his rapt attention. She gave him a suspicious look._

"What all did you create?" Adam asked to distract her.

"I own a ship's chandler firm," she said shyly. A chandler provisioned ships in port. It was a competitive business but a necessary one. "I wanted to expand by taking a working capital loan and found I couldn't under the circumstances. You can imagine how frustrated I was."

"You are amazing. I don't remember you like this at all."

"Nor do I remember you like this. You never discussed important matters with me."

"Anne, please stay with us for a while until we can sort this out. There's no need to rush off."

"Adam, I don't want to give you the wrong impression."

_Again screams and shouts drifted up from the front through the window. Anne turned her head to wonder what was happening. She looked back in concern at Adam, who pretended not to notice anything._

"I don't think that. Pa really meant it that he wants you to stay." He saw her cast her eyes down so he could not read her. "What?"

"I don't think I care to stay and witness his temper again. It frightens me._ More screams and a trumpeting screech came more loudly. _Listen to him yelling down there at those two. Please, just take me to a hotel. I am prepared to pay all the expenses including my stay at the hotel. I want this to be painless for you."

"Oh, Anne," Adam choked up._ There was that strange sound again. Anne got up to look out the window but Adam intercepted her._ "Sure, if that's what you want." He smiled a strained smile. "Excuse me a moment." He shut the door and raced downstairs where Ben was handing it to the boys.

"_**WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW JAIL?"**_

"That's why the City Council made us deputies. They took a vote. Mr. Prescott said that you will get the bill for the new jail and in the meantime the Ponderosa is the jail."

"_**We'll see about that! Walt Prescott does not dictate to me! We don't even live in the city limits!"**_

"But Pa, we's deputies and got them two prisoners in the barn," Hoss lamented.

"_**TAKE THEM BACK! Take them back to Walt Prescott with my compliments! And you," **_he stabbed a finger at Hoss. "You are so fond of telling me that you are a grown man. Well then Mr. Cartwright, YOU can _PAY_ for the new jail!" Ben harrumphed. "You want to be a man, **BE A MAN**!!!! I don't want to ever hear of your childish self-indulgent Spring Fever again!"

"Yes Pa," Hoss said miserably. "But Pa, how am I gonna pay for a new jail?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. It's not my problem any more."

"But Pa…."

"No but Pa me..." Ben took a breath. _**"AND GET THAT PROBLEM OUT OF MY BARN!"**_

"But Pa," Hoss pleaded.

Joe looked at Hoss like he had lost his mind.

Adam went downstairs and sent Hoss and Joe off to the barn to deal with the problems in the barn. Ben ordered them to make sure the lice ridden one bathed and Hop Sing shaved his head. At his desk in the alcove, Ben saw the look on Adam's face, knowing it was serious. Adam quickly recounted how upset Anne was at all the yelling and …screeching. Ben readily agreed to apologize to her. She was right. His performance was atrocious by her understanding. Adam went back upstairs to retrieve her. Once in the great room, Ben stood waiting for her at the fireplace. He then proceeded to give the courtliest apology any 19th century man ever made to a lady. It did make an impression.

"And I may leave for Carson City any time?"

"Of course, ma'am," Ben said gently. "I realize we are strangers to one another. I don't want you to think you are stranded way out here with us. We would enjoy a visit and a chance to know so lovely and gracious a lady as yourself. Besides, you have had a long journey. Take some time to rest up."

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. Then let's do it for one more day. The day after tomorrow, though I want to go into Carson City with Adam."

"Agreed, ma'am," Ben said seriously. "If I didn't say it well before, let me welcome you to the Ponderosa."

"Thank you, sir."

"Will you allow me to show you a little of the ranch, tomorrow morning?"

"Thank you Adam, yes. That would be nice."

Unfortunately, there was a jailbreak out of the barn. Hoss and Joe came screaming and charging for the house. Hoss and Joe fairly ran for the front door. Just as they got inside, Old Sheba made it to the door too. She wanted in. Trumpeting her upset, she pushed the door inwards. Old Sheba wasn't going to be denied. Together Hoss and Joe tried to close the door but could not hold it against her strength. Both of them spilled into the room, tumbling over themselves as a huge trunk came searching into the room. It found Joe and wrapped around him pulling him out. Hoss went barreling after Joe yelling at the beast.

"Sheba, put him down. Down Sheba, down."

"**HOSS!!!!!"** Joe cried out.

"Sheba be a nice elephant and put him down."

Ben and Adam rushed out after them. Sheba carried Joe like a doll in her trunk out to the pasture. The three men hurried after them. Anne stood in the doorway slack jawed until she started doubling up with laughter. Never in a million years would she have expected them to have a pet elephant. Naturally, Anne rushed out to see what was happening with Joe and the elephant. Three men chased a large pachyderm out to the meadow hollering and waving. Adam reached it first. By then it had dumped Joe on the ground and was foraging as if that were the most natural thing to do. Maybe it wanted company. Maybe it just wanted out of the barn. Maybe it couldn't take all the other shrieks coming from the barn. Anne looked at the open barn door and decided against going in there. Whatever was making those sounds, she wasn't about to approach it alone. A few minutes later, Adam came loping back to her with a lopsided grin. Throwing his arms out wide, he laughed.

"And you wondered why I just couldn't stay away from here!"

"Adam, you people are not normal." She saw his face fall. "But then what fun would that be?" She busted up laughing. Adam joined her. They stood together watching his father and two brothers cajoling an elephant in the moonlight. Adam turned to her to reappraise her carefully.

"I don't know you, not really do I?"

Their eyes met as if strangers looked at one another for the first time. She broke away first.

"I'd like to," he said softly. "Very much."

"Adam…." She looked away. This wasn't what she came to do at all. She wanted to end it and go home. "It's been a long day."

"Right, sleep well, Anne." She chucked her head towards the shrieks in the barn, with a questioning look. "Uh, Hop Sing is cleaning up the prisoners. Sounds like he's getting objections. It upset Sheba."

"Oh." She left him awkwardly and hurried inside away from the cold night air. Standing in the great room, Anne reappraised it with different eyes. It really was nice, all things considered. Some of her friends had hunting lodges not so different, if she wanted to think about it that way. Exhaustion swept over her as she mounted the stairs. What a weird ending to an improbable day.

Anne became aware of the house stirring long before dawn. Lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling she considered how to make her exit gracefully. She did not intend to stay around. It sent the wrong signals. Once dawn broke, Anne got up to deal with the day. After washing and dressing, she took her bag and went downstairs to find them assembling for breakfast after their morning chores. All the men rose for her. Adam and Ben sat at either end of the table with her opposite the two shaven headed brothers. Hoss and Joe were embarrassed and miserable. Hop Sing served the usual hearty ranch breakfast, which astounded her in its quantity. Watching Hoss eat grossed her out. She ate an egg, small biscuit with jam, and coffee. Hoss ate, well, like Hoss. After the pancakes and syrup, he started on the eggs and ham with some bacon, biscuits, and gravy all mixed in. He ate three times what the others ate. Adam noticed with some concern her reaction although she kept her eyes on her plate.

"Thank you for your hospitality last night, Mr. Cartwright. I really do want to finish my business with Adam and return. I am grateful for the visit, but I'll stay in Carson City tonight."

"What is she talking about?" Ben asked Adam.

"It seems the lawyers made some sort of mistake. Our divorce is invalid. Anne came to straighten it out with me."

"That's very… admirable that you would endeavor to undertake such a strenuous dangerous journey to do this face to face, ma'am," Ben said seriously. "May I ask why you did not write to us first?"

"I did, but neither my letters nor my telegrams ever reached Adam apparently. So I came myself to bring the documents. I can't do this in Boston without his presence or his agent with power of attorney. I was afraid he was avoiding me, moved, or was deceased. Not knowing, I felt it best to come myself to find him. Now, we can deal with it together. I have informed Adam of the problem and assured him I will assume all the expenses. That is why I need to go to Carson City. I must hire an attorney here to complete my end of things." She nodded to them and rose, "Thank you once again for the chance to meet you all. You have been most kind to me, Mr. Cartwright by allowing me to sojourn in your home." She nodded to him and he nodded back. "Adam, would you please drive me to Carson City or send an employee to take me?"

"Anne, come with me a moment," Adam took her hand. "Pa, excuse us."

Ben watched them go so sadly. It was a pity that Adam let a woman like that get away. And for what, so he could chase saloon girls for ten years? Well technically Adam was married to her, but it was a legal fiction. Ben shook his head in disgust. Where had he gone wrong with his sons that none of them were married to nice women like that? The rest of the morning, he went over the books to plan for the rebuilding of the Jail and… the necessary. The sad truth was Hoss could never manage it.

Once in her room, Adam carefully shut the door. She braced for his anger. "Anne, I'm not going to get mad, please, sit."

"Thank you, Adam. I really don't want a scene."

"I thought you agreed to stay another day or two."

"I changed my mind. You did say I could go anytime I wanted."

"Yes, of course, but," Adam knew something else was bothering her. "Okay, Anne if that's the way you want it. I suppose we really are strangers aren't we?"

"Exactly," Anne said softly. "Under the circumstances, I feel terribly awkward staying here. If you want to see me in town, I have no objection."

"Tell you what," Adam said more brightly. "I guess that I could stay in town too for a couple of days and help with anything you need."

"That would be appreciated, Adam. Thank you."

"Anne, I …."

"I know. It's been ten years, Adam."

"Seeing you again, well, I'm remembering all the good times and none of the bad ones."

Anne took a few moments to compose her thoughts. She wanted to be careful not to anger any of them while she was stuck there. "Adam, I'm happy to see you are well and home with a family that loves you so much. It was extraordinary of your father to allow me to stay here. You have been most kind. Really, though, I am here to take care of our business and go home. Let's make this as pleasant as possible."

"I never asked you about you. What about your family? How are they?"

"My mother and father are still alive, though older. My younger brother is at sea as a lieutenant in the Navy. My sister got married to a man in New York. My older brother died, you see ….in the War," she paused."

"Oh I am sorry, Anne." Adam really was.

"Well, it is what it is."

"I see." Adam wasn't sure he should ask. She wasn't his responsibility and she was in a strange way since they were still married. "Are you financially all right?"

"I'm fine." She assured him. "I work because it is interesting and I'm good at it. Society raises a few eyebrows and…I don't care." She laughed lightly.

"Who is looking after things while you are here?"

"My father checks on things. I work with a second cousin, Edwin who is twenty-eight now. He's a natural at it. All the sea captains like him. He handles the rough stuff. I handle the business end. My accountant will handle the books while I am gone. My father is there to oversee problems, although he still practices law. He doesn't approve of me doing all this you know." She smiled ruefully. "It makes me too independent from him, which is the whole point."

"Well, sounds like you have things under control."

"Shall we?"

"Let me put a few things together."

While she was waiting, she went downstairs to walk outdoors. Walking around the house, she saw how large it was. The meadow was beautiful too. As she stood at the edge, Hoss came by walking the elephant, talking to it. Chuckling at the sight, Anne thought they must be one strange family. She tried to imagine having lived there with …him… for the last ten years and decided it would have been an adventure to say the least. No, back then she wasn't ready for all this. Ben saw her and came over to her.

"Hello, Mr. Cartwright," Anne greeted him with a smile.

"I guess we didn't make such a good impression last night." She said nothing, afraid to set him off again. Ben searched for something to say to make her change her mind. "We probably look like lunatics." Hoss led Old Sheba out to the meadow where she wanted to go anyway. As they passed by, Hoss waved to them. "I don't suppose you have elephants in your barn?"

One look and both burst out laughing. "Not even pink ones," Anne chortled. More seriously, she told him, "I'm happy for Adam. This is where he belongs."

Ben sighed. "If I had known he married a woman like you, I would have been on a ship back to Boston to reason with you myself."

"Mr. Cartwright, back then I was scared out of my mind at the idea of coming here."

"And now?"

"I'm here," she answered softly. "Ten years is a long time."

"Yes, it is. I don't know where the time went. I don't think Adam could tell you either." When he got no response, Ben tried another way. "How are the Stoddards? Do you see them?"

"I see them now and then. Captain Stoddard is elderly now. All those years at sea took its toll. The arthritis, you know." Ben nodded understanding. It happened to so many sailors. "I left a letter for you on your desk from him along with some other correspondence from Boston. People still remember you. When folks knew I was making the journey, they asked if I would carry their well wishes."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you."

Ben looked out to the meadow, hiding the deep emotion. People did such things in those days because the mails were so slow and unreliable. The Indians read a lot of the mail along the stagecoach routes, meaning it was pitched overboard when they attacked leaving it to scatter across the plains.

"Are you returning to Boston soon?"

"I haven't booked passage from San Francisco yet, not knowing if I could find Adam, if that's what you mean."

"Partly," Ben said cautiously. He didn't want to press her too hard to stay. It would only push her away. "It's pretty country here."

"Yes, it is everything Adam described, sir." Realizing she should make him a compliment about the ranch, she added, "Your achievement is impressive, Mr. Cartwright. We read about the hardships the pioneers face out here. You have carved out an oasis of civilization. You must be a remarkable man."

"Thank you, you are kind to say so." He smiled at her. She had no interest in any of it. He was relieved and saddened. It was obvious that she was just being polite. He half thought she might have an ulterior motive for coming. Clearly, she wasn't interested in any of it. "We have managed to civilize this area since we first arrived. You know we just built an opera house in Virginia City?" He said brightly. "It's first class." She looked down so as not to contradict him.

"I'm sure it is lovely and welcome."

"Do you enjoy the opera?"

"No, I'm not particularly fond of it, sir. I like concerts, but not opera." They watched Hoss argue with the elephant. Anne rubbed her eyes not quite believing the spectacle of a huge man arguing with an elephant in a meadow in Nevada. "Doesn't Adam have to go back to town to be the deputy every day? Won't he get fired?"

"I sure hope so. Ma'am, he's not the deputy. None of them are. The city council got so mad yesterday because Hoss burnt down the Jail that they deputized the boys as retaliation and sent the prisoners here." As hard as Ben tried to be annoyed, just saying that made him burst out laughing. She did too. "Adam runs the timber operations and much of the ranch business. He does the traveling for me when it's necessary, too. I am lucky to have three grown sons." At that moment, Old Sheba wrapped her trunk around Hoss. "Well, two and a half grown sons." Ben's face crinkled in smile. "He's really very good with animals."

"I can see that," she smiled.

"You know he's always bringing home strays. One time he brought back a bear and wanted to keep it. It loved him."

"From what I heard in town, most folks do too."

"See Hoss understands the world through his feelings. Adam understands things logically. And Joe, well he is something in between, but smart as a whip." She nodded not interrupting. "I thought they would all be married and settled by now. They don't seem to be in any hurry."

She turned to check for sight of the buggy. It wasn't there yet. "I wonder what is keeping Adam."

"He's probably in the barn or dealing with the hands on some problem. They come to him first now, so as not to bother me with every detail. You know we run 10,000 head of cattle on over 1000 square miles of Nevada right along the shores of Lake Tahoe. We also have the biggest timber rights in the West, even up in Oregon because of Adam's shrewd negotiating." She was suitably impressed. As a businessperson, she appreciated his achievements more at this stage of her life. "Adam was in town yesterday for the Cattleman's Association meeting. He represents the Ponderosa. He's on the school board, too."

"But if you aren't within the city limits, how can he be on the school board?"

"It's the county board of education." Ben shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to rebuild the jail, anyway. Adam will design it. You know he designed the railroad trestle over the Truckee River? It's part of the transcontinental railroad that will be here in a few years."

"A jail and a trestle," she trailed off unimpressed, thinking of the great buildings he would have designed and built in Boston. "Has he designed anything else?"

"You know he built the house?" Ben turned to face it. She turned too. "He designed it to last a hundred years. It was the first thing he did when he came home from Boston. He expanded the original log cabin to the size of the main room and lifted the roof to make the ceilings high. Then he designed the bedroom and kitchen wings. He built the storerooms at the opposite end to be part of the rear compound." Ben stopped realizing he was pushing her.

"It is an impressive house, Mr. Cartwright. I'm glad you let Adam do all that. He was a promising architect when we were married." She smiled. "Are married, crazy isn't it?"

"No, not really," Ben said slowly. "Anne…. he never got over you."

"I scarred him that badly?" She laughed, to make light of it. "Put him off women forever, did I?"

"Not that bad, but he's never shown any interest in marrying again. Did you remarry?"

"No, Mr. Cartwright," she didn't elaborate. He was fishing and she knew it. In those days, it was a terrible breach of etiquette to ask a stranger such personal questions. Technically, she was his daughter-in-law; but she was really a stranger. He was a stranger to her.

"Anne, I know you have every right to refuse, but I'm going to ask you as a personal favor to an old man to stay another day."

"Mr. Cartwright, it's been ten years. What's done is done."

"Is it?" He looked straight into her eyes. "Is it? Yesterday morning when he rode off to the meeting, I would have agreed. Today, well, I know my son."

She stood there silently, not answering. The silence stretched on. She shook her head.

"Adam has not been pining for me for ten years. He's curious. You are curious. That's all it is. I don't feel like being the Ponderosa curiosity, sir. You have an elephant for that."

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way." Ben sighed heavily. "Good Golly, we really made a bad impression. You must think we are a bunch of lunatics and ruffians."

"Sir, I take things as they come. Life is too short to worry about nonsense. Thank you for your hospitality. You have been most gracious and kind. Excuse me," she drifted away to find Adam.

Ben turned to lean against the railing and sighed heavily. Normally, he stayed out of his son's love affairs. Once in a while, he didn't. If she really were still married to Adam, well, maybe he needed to intervene for everyone's sake. Adam was thirty-three years old. In Ben's opinion, it was atrocious that Adam was alone and had not gotten serious about having a family. Ben wanted grandchildren. By golly, those two were married and it was supposed to be until death do them part! For that matter, the other two were due to get married as well. It was time he dealt with the problem since they weren't doing a thing about it. Other fathers arranged marriages. Ben decided he had been remiss. He called his foreman over to send out riders to engage all the hotel space in Carson City and any boarding rooms too. Upon second thought, he had some others go to the nearby settlements of Gold Hill and Silver City, too. After Adam and Anne departed, Ben got on his horse and rode over to Abe McClain's ranch a few miles away. Abe had a niece named Carrie who was sweet on Little Joe. Joe fancied her too. Time to deal with it before going into Virginia City to see his lawyer.


	2. Chapter 2: Entanglements

**Chapter 2: Entanglements**

Adam took the long way to Carson City so he could show her a view of Lake Tahoe. The lake is one of the deepest in the world with 72 miles of shoreline of which Ben owned nearly a third. There is so much water in Lake Tahoe that it could cover all of California 7 inches of water deep. In a dry terrain, that was a valuable resource. At the ridge with the vista before her, Anne did enjoy the view. Who wouldn't? Lake Tahoe is fabulously gorgeous.

"It is lovely, Adam." She said enjoying his efforts. "I saw it for a bit on the coach on the way in. It's just as you described." She sighed. It was lovely and pointless for her. She had a life back in Boston. Sightseeing was all well and good, but she had a window of opportunity to return by ship before the storms of winter in the southern hemisphere took hold.

"Okay, Anne," Adam reluctantly drove them into the Territorial Capital.

Carson City was a bleak town overlooking a dry valley, nestled against the foothills on the main east-west route across the country. Named for Kit Carson, it became the capital of the State of Nevada in 1864 to ensure Lincoln's presidential election even though it did not have the requisite number of inhabitants. In 1859, there were only 3500 people in what would become Nevada. There were three stone houses in Virginia City and a few scattered huts. Of that number, less than 100 were female in the whole Nevada area of the Western Utah Territory. In 1860, there were only 6800 people in the whole area with only a few more women. Most of the immigrants were miners. By 1863, there were nearly 12,000, all congregated between Carson City, Reno, and Virginia City. The tremendous influx of people meant that the number of buildings were inadequate for the population. Construction could not keep pace. Anne frowned at the dusty square with all the buildings crammed around it on three sides with the one storey Governor's Palace completing the other side. Once in town, Adam and Anne went to the Cartwright's lawyer. He agreed to see them immediately, since the Ponderosa was his biggest client.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Cartwright?" Sam Hilliard said with a flourish, eyeing the woman with Adam with some curiosity.

"Mr. Hilliard, I would like to speak to you on a matter of extreme confidentiality." Adam took a deep breath. "Mr. Hilliard, may I present my wife, Anne Cartwright from Boston."

You could have knocked Hilliard over with a feather. He caught himself and offered her his greeting. "Well, let us sit then." Adam proceeded to explain the situation. Anne offered the documents. Hilliard read the cover letter from her lawyer summarizing the situation. He sat there tapping a finger on the bundle. "This is a dilemma."

"How so?" Anne inquired cautiously.

"Ma'am, speaking strictly from a legal perspective, there are several impediments for a quick divorce. The most serious one is that you are not a resident of Nevada. Oh, it can be done, but not quickly in these circumstances. You see, all of these documents would have to be officially verified and even then, they have expired. It has been ten years. You will have to start the proceedings all over again. Property considerations will have to be detailed and verified."

"I am not contesting her holdings, Mr. Hilliard. Whatever she says she owns is hers." Adam said quickly.

"I wasn't speaking only of her holdings, Mr. Cartwright. There is the matter of your holdings."

"I am not interested in claiming any of his, sir. I simply want an end to the matter as things stand."

"Even so, we must verify his holdings and both of you must disclose to one another."

"We have already agreed to that," Adam explained.

"I'm glad to hear this is so amicable." Hilliard was relieved but knew these things could get out of hand very easily no matter how nicely it began. "What about spousal support?"

"I am not asking Adam for support."

"What about you, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you claiming any support from her?"

"No, why would I?"

"It is your right under certain circumstances."

"Uh, no, no, I am not claiming anything."

"What about children?"

"There are no children. We have not seen each other for ten years."

"Well, that does make it easier. Even so, Mrs. Cartwright will have to establish domicile in Nevada for six weeks before we can get this on the docket. Let me see a moment," he checked something. "The Circuit Court will then be here two months after that."

"What!"

"You mean she has to stay here for more than three months?"

"If she leaves, she is not domiciled here and would have to restart proceedings in another state."

"What about California? Is it any quicker there?"

"No, they have the same rules. Then it is only a matter of how fast you can get on the court docket. Since it is a state, they have more judges but their calendars are just as busy. You could telegraph each one to inquire if one would be able to handle it more quickly. But both of you would have to domicile in California for the same amount of time and there, they have a rule that it takes six months after the first hearing for the final divorce to be granted. The closest other state is Missouri and it will take a month to get there and you still have to domicile. All the other Territories have the same sort of domicile rules."

Anne and Adam stared at each other in surprise and shock.

"Furthermore, since Mrs. Cartwright is in business, it would be prudent for Mr. Cartwright to make inquiries to discover what debts and liabilities Mrs. Cartwright has incurred in order to satisfy them and then publish a notice in the Boston newspapers that he is no longer responsible for her. It should take 110 days by ship to send such a notice since the telegraphs and mails are unreliable during this unfortunate War. Then it will take some months to discover what replies are then made."

"I'll take her word for it." Adam answered quickly, shooting a look at her.

"I swear Adam, I don't owe anything to anyone other than normal business credit with my suppliers."

"What about that working capital loan you wanted?"

"I told you the bank would not loan it."

"So what did you do?"

"I borrowed from Edwin's family. That's why he is my partner."

"Ma'am, does that mean you sold a share of your company to this Edwin or did you sign any sort of note to secure the loan?"

"Edwin is my second cousin. I agreed with his father, my first cousin's husband, that I would take Edwin into the business and … Oh! OH NO! I did sign a promissory note to him which would be forgiven if Edwin did become my partner after five years."

"That is considered a liability, ma'am."

"How much is it for, Anne?"

"Almost $15,000, Adam."

"Not a problem, Anne," Adam said. "I have that much."

"I don't want your money, Adam."

"It's not about the money, ma'am. Because you have this debt obligation, Mr. Cartwright is liable. Furthermore, since Mr. Cartwright is your legal husband, he is the legal owner, not you, until the divorce is final. You are not entitled to sell a share of the business without his consent. So, your agreement is void with Edwin's father unless Mr. Cartwright gives you written consent. In addition, any prior legal entanglement accrues to him up to the point of the divorce."

"I don't understand."

"If someone contemplates suing you for something that occurred up to the minute of the divorce, even though he sues you after the divorce, it falls to Mr. Cartwright to make good and to defend the lawsuit."

"Oh, Adam, I had no idea. My lawyer didn't tell me. He said only to get this settled and then you wouldn't be liable anymore."

"Well he is correct to the statement that Mr. Cartwright would not be liable for any operational problems occurring after the divorce."

"I see," Adam said thoughtfully. "What remedy do I have to insulate myself from what has happened before?"

"If you were to sell the concern as a whole, not just the assets but the entire entity, then the buyer would assume all the liabilities along with the assets. Rarely is that done because everyone knows to buy only the name and the assets separately." The lawyer considered a moment. "If you were to sell the assets and even the name, then bankrupt the company to close it, you might avoid any subsequent issues so long as you did not do it fraudulently knowing there were some issues."

"Bankrupt?" Anne was horrified. "My business is healthy."

"It's a legal tactic, ma'am. You recreate the business as a separate new entity and continue under incorporation as that new entity."

"I don't understand. I have a reputation as an absolutely honest woman of the highest integrity. Bankrupting would ruin me."

"Ma'am, it is a legal fiction to rid oneself on one legal entity and continue as another. You aren't really bankrupt."

"But everyone would know I filed as bankrupt."

"It's not the same thing."

"It sounds like the same thing." Anne stood up. "Thank you, sir, for your time. I need to consider what you have said."

"Of course, ma'am," the lawyer said. "I hope to be of service to you later."

Anne and Adam departed. She turned on him outside. "Adam Cartwright, I know that was YOUR lawyer. I think I need my own lawyer at least for a second opinion. While what he suggests would help you, it certainly would injure me. I want to know if there is another less drastic measure to take. I can't do that with YOUR lawyer. But who around here isn't your lawyer?"

"Let's go to the Courthouse and have a look. Maybe the clerk can give us a list." He guided her across the square into the clerk's office. There they received the names of three more lawyers. Carson City was still a very small town. "I'm sorry to tell you, Anne, but we have used each one of these men for varying reasons. It's the same in Virginia City and one man up in Reno. There may be one in a small town somewhere up here. We shall have to make inquiries."

"Adam, I swear I have no problems in my business. The captains submit a list of provisions. We supply them and verify the list as we stock them on the ship. They pay before they depart. That's the whole transaction. The reason I needed the loan was that we began to stock bigger ships and more of them. I needed bigger warehouses and more men to handle the volume. Some supplies I have to store in quantity to get the quantity discount or just to have on hand. It ties up my money. The loan was to keep me afloat in between ordering the goods and making my payroll and the ships paying me. It's a small gap but amounts to as much as $10,000 in a quarter if more large ships come in than small ones. We know to a point which ships are scheduled to make port and then plan accordingly. However, sometimes one of the other ships becomes dissatisfied with their provider and we catch a new client. We are unprepared for the volume. Then, I go to my sources and get credit for the week or more that it takes to stock the new client. With the loan, I didn't need to ask for credit anymore. Only, we grew so much, I am back to needing the credit at my suppliers every so often. Honest, Adam, I have a solvent business. The loans are normal and all are current and up to date."

"Anne, Anne, I believe you. I'm not all that worried. Still it is good to be careful."

"I want you to be careful, Adam. I don't want you to think I'm in debt because of some carelessness. It's all normal business operations."

"I understand that Anne. The Ponderosa seasonally has a cash crunch. There is a time of year when no rancher has cash because all the money is tied up in cows. Once we get them to market, the crunch is over. Even so, the Ponderosa's land value and water rights more than cover the loans. The wealth is not always liquid. It's normal business operations. I understand that."

"Good, good, I am relieved. Most people hear there is debt and immediately assume something untoward is happening."

"Anne," Adam took her hand. "I am so impressed. I had no idea you were like this."

"I grew up, Adam. You just didn't stick around long enough to watch." She paused. "I'm sorry. That sounded bitter."

"Well, you have some reason," he agreed, uncomfortably. "We were both young and made mistakes."

"I didn't make any mistakes, Adam. I fulfilled everything we agreed. YOU agreed to stay in Boston as a condition to the marriage. If you didn't want to stay, you shouldn't have married me."

"Initially, I did want to stay. I just couldn't in the end."

"Why, why not? I never got a good explanation."

"Anne, not here in the street."

"Fine, let's find me a room."

They were near the International Hotel so they went to check her in. Unfortunately, there were no rooms that week and the next was full because a convention was in town to discuss statehood. It would be there for the next two weeks at least. Whether Nevada joined the Union or Confederacy was bitterly disputed. The Comstock silver was important to both sides. There was no room at any of the boarding houses for the same reasons plus the business of the Territory ensured plenty of travelers and people requiring housing to work for the Government. Travelers going to the silver mines first came to Carson City before going on to Gold Hill, Silver City, or Virginia City and to some extent, Reno.

"This is a fine mess," Anne said in exasperation. "I came here to do the right thing and only meet one obstacle after another. I'm going to buy a house. Over there, the land office," she marched purposefully over to it. In there, no houses were for sale. Land was for sale. It would take nearly a year to build even a small house. No lumber was available. What was available, folks had contracts for months in advance.

"Anne, you are welcome at the Ponderosa. You know that."

"This is not how I thought things would happen. I thought I would find you. We would go see a lawyer. He'd draw up some papers for us to sign. I'd leave my power of attorney with him and hurry back to San Francisco."

"Why the rush, other than business concerns?"

"Adam, it's the beginning of May. If I domicile for six weeks and then wait two months for the judge, it will be late July and August on the way back. I do not want to cross the desert and plains for more than a month in summer heat and in danger of Indian raids. I can't handle that. I have limits. Once I get to St. Joseph, Missouri, it's another month or more back to Boston because soldiers and supplies fill the trains even on the most northern tracks. If I get back to San Francisco soon, I can still take a ship around the Horn. It will soon be winter there and the gales will make passage through the Straits of Magellan treacherous. I don't want to go to the Panama isthmus and cross because of malaria. A good percentage of people get it in the crossing. Therefore, I want to take a ship the whole way. Going by ship is just as long as a land trip minus the malaria and Indians. The delay now means I would have to wait until November around here so I can make the voyage in December down there when it is summer at the Horn. Nine months are too long!"

"Anne, you are welcome as long as you need."

"I would go to San Francisco afterwards. I don't want to burden your family. I will take lodging there until I can make the voyage." She looked around. "I need to buy a couple of horses and a buggy. I don't want to be dependent on you like this morning. I want to be able to leave whenever I choose."

"Anne, slow down," Adam urged her. "Please, let's go have something to eat and think this through. It's nearly noon. Come on, I'll take you to the restaurant in the hotel."

"I'll take you," she said. "I need a house present for your father too. We need to discuss lodging payments."

"Oh good grief," Adam pushed his hat back. "Will you relax?" They huffed at each other. "Anne, for what it's worth, I really do appreciate that you are making such an effort to make this right. I'm not the enemy."

"No, you are my husband for another four months!" She nodded sarcastically and glided off to the hotel.

Grinning his smug smile, Adam watched her enter the hotel and said, "I am a husband for your turn. For by this light, whereby I see thy beauty, thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well. Thou must be married to no man but me." He adjusted his hat, as he walked across the street and murmured. "Who wooed in haste; and means to wed at leisure, thereby hangs a tale," He quoted the Bard.

In Virginia City twenty some miles away from Carson City, Ben Cartwright exited Whitley Parker's office in Virginia City in utmost satisfaction. He adjusted his hat and whistled a jaunty tune over to the makeshift sheriff's office. Knocking on the door, he entered to the snort from Roy Coffee.

"I figured you'd be around to see me, Ben." Coffee sat back to contemplate his old friend. Ben casually put the four tin deputy stars on the desk. Roy shrugged and put them in the drawer of his desk. Ben sat down to regard the man.

"I had a talk with my lawyer. Legally, I am in no way obligated to rebuild the jail. Hoss is a grown man. The town can sue him, which is pointless. He doesn't have anything close to the amount necessary to rebuild the jail. On the wages I pay him, he won't for ten years. I'm telling you so you can make other arrangements. You can not use the Ponderosa as the jail."

"I know that Ben. The City Council did that without my knowledge. They don't have the authority and I told them as much. I've made arrangements to make accommodations in an abandoned silver mine for the time being."

"That's rough."

"Way it has to be," Roy shrugged. "I told the Council they'd have to find the money and then try to get what they could out of Hoss. So they are preparing a lawsuit. You should know that the judgment is good for ten years. That means they have ten years to collect. So, if he inherits anything or comes by more money, they'll take it with interest."

"They can try. I'll have a talk with them. We'll come to an agreement of some kind. I'd like to scare Hoss with it first." Coffee nodded. "It might, just might I say, do him some good."

"I can't argue with that." Coffee shook his head. "Ben, everyone knows how Hoss is. No one holds it against him or you."

"Thanks, Roy, I mean that."

"It's Walt Prescott more than anyone who's flapping and clucking over this what with him and Hoss and that gal."

"Yeah, don't remind me." They sighed as only two old friends can over Prescott's unending grudge. Ben put on his hat. "Oh and Roy, I just agreed with Abe McClain for Joe and Carrie. We'll announce the engagement in three weeks at a party at the Ponderosa. You're invited."

"I'll be there, Ben." Roy chuckled. "Joe and Carrie, well that's good news."

Ben nodded to him and strode out whistling a happy tune. Old Man Cartwright figured he had to do something with all his money and power or he'd never get those grandkids. Happily, he went to the stagecoach office and bought up all the passenger space from there to anywhere for a few weeks. Nodding to some hands standing ready, they went ahead and bought out anything for the next month. Ben engaged Whitley Parker as a front to keep people from knowing Ben Cartwright was buying property and engaging all available lodgings. He didn't want prices to skyrocket just for him. He had several hands standing by to help Whitley Parker the next several days. Then he told Whitley to buy up anything in Gold Hill, Silver City, all the way to Dayton and environs that he thought Anne might afford. He left Reno for Little Joe and some other hands, asking Whitley to comb the countryside to make sure nothing slipped past them. Then he had Whitley prepare any sort of lawsuit or hearing necessary to suck up space on the next circuit court docket coming after the six weeks of domicile and then told him to do the same as soon as the next court docket became open for cases. He also told Whitley to make sure that if necessary one Cartwright enterprise could sue another. Ben had several corporations for timber, mining, and ranching as well as a gristmill and other freight concerns. Over the years, Ben had diversified. Through his sons; Candy, his foreman; and Whitley Parker, his lawyer, Ben had bought out all hotel and boarding house space in that part of Nevada, sending out riders under Candy's supervision to get to Carson City before Adam could arrive in the buggy. He made sure Candy was there to coordinate the hands to check Carson City about available rooms for rent and rented them all, too. He told Candy to buy any inexpensive house, there as well whatever the price, short of a mansion. He had Candy buy all available stagecoach passage for a month as well out of Carson City to anywhere. He sent Hoss to Gold Hill and Silver City to do the same. Financially, Ben made Whitley's yearly revenues soar all in the name of getting heirs for the Ponderosa. Mr. Whitley Parker laughed his head off.

At luncheon, Anne sighed heavily in the hotel in Carson City unaware of the scheme. "All right, Adam. Once again into the breach," she joked. "I do want to consult another attorney. I also need to stop at a dress shop. The stagecoaches limit passengers to 25 pounds. The documents took up 8 pounds. If I have to stay here this long, I need some more clothing."

"Buy whatever you want," Adam offered. She shook her head. "Thank you, but I came prepared with a letter of credit for the Wells Fargo Bank. I took care of that in San Francisco. The branches here can communicate with them for what I need to transfer to my account in Virginia City."

Adam sat back to consider her. She really did come to divorce him. He had some doubts at first. Mostly, the brothers had bad results dealing with women. They were usually after the Cartwright money. "How much did you bring?"

"Enough," she said without naming numbers.

"Anne, I'm concerned for you is all."

"Adam, you haven't been concerned for me in ten years. I figured it could take a couple of months to search for you. I knew I might need to hire investigators if I didn't find you here. I needed enough to pay the attorneys and court costs. I still have enough for a first class passage home with some extra room. So you see; I am prepared."

Adam was impressed she thought it out that thoroughly. Hotel rooms were a dollar a day. A suite was between $1.50 and $2.00 a day. Four months lodging with meals would be about $240 in a hotel and half in a boarding house. Prices in the silver country were higher than normal. Stagecoach fares from San Francisco to Missouri were $200 one way plus at least that much to get to Boston. Ship fares were about $400 each way for first class. She seemed prepared to spend couple thousand dollars. It was a considerable investment, since the 1863 average annual salary was only $350 for a family. A general in the army made $2200 a year. That much expense was serious business.

"All right, then, let's proceed."

He escorted her to the next attorney who told them the same thing. From there she went to the dress shop while he went to take care of some Ponderosa business for an hour or so, promising to call for her at either the dress shop or the General Store if she had moved on over there. Two hours later, they were on the way back to the Ponderosa. By the time they arrived, Ben was already home, not the least surprised to see both of them back. Adam made her explanations. Ben welcomed her profusely, personally escorting her back to her room bringing a vase with flowers he had happened to buy in town that day. She looked at them with suspicion and dismissed the idea. She was also surprised that Hop Sing had hot water so quickly for her bath. He also brought up fine soap and lotions for her with thick towels. Dressed in a new gown, she descended for supper, which turned out to be quite a formal dinner. Ben made everyone dress up. He had some of his excellent wine ready and champagne to toast her arrival properly, not having had the opportunity the night before. She made him a house present of a case of books. He was impressed. Books were expensive and difficult to get out there. Someone had traded the goods for mining supplies, so she bought the whole load. In Nevada Territory, there wasn't much in the way of consumer goods so early in the spring of 1863. Ben knew it was a dignified gift and made her many compliments over them. Afterwards, they serenaded her together and Adam separately with his guitar. In all, Ben was determined to prove they were not the barbarians she must have thought they were. Discreetly, the other three melted away to their rooms to leave Adam and Anne to sit by the fire in the great room. After a whole day together, they were tired. It was enough to sit quietly while Adam strummed his guitar and she stared at the fire. After a while, she said good night. He let her go, sitting up to look through the stack of books. Many of them were quite nice. Others were only okay. A few were textbooks on chemistry and metallurgy. One was a book of Shakespeare in fine vellum. Reading Petruchio's challenge, Adam felt it applied to him.

Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves:  
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.  
I will be master of what is mine own:  
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,  
My household stuff, my field, my barn,  
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;  
And here she stands, touch her whoever dare;  
I'll bring mine action on the proudest he  
That stops my way.

Adam smiled, shutting the book. He had made inquiries in Carson City and discovered his father's plot from Candy, whom he saw there. Well it agreed with him. Smiling he went to bed and slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.

In the morning, they were at the table when Anne arrived. Since she seemed to be in good spirits, Adam proposed a picnic. She thanked him and asked Ben if she could make some efforts for the household.

"I was thinking my presence will become a trial and tribulation having a stranger here without making a contribution to the work here. I know Hop Sing does your cooking. What then may I do for you, sir?"

"Oh, that's not necessary, ma'am," Ben said surprised. "You are our guest."

"Well, that would be fine for a few days but as the weeks draw on, if I can not find other accommodations, it will be tedious for everyone, myself included."

"I hadn't thought about it." Ben said truthfully. If she were to become the lady of the house, then perhaps she should become acquainted with the running of the household. Carrie McClain was only 16 years old and couldn't possibly do it. Besides the wedding was at least a year off.

"I'm a fair Yankee cook," she said and saw Joe stiffen. "Perhaps I could make a contribution to Hop Sing's efforts. Who cleans the house?"

"Hop Sing does all the domestic work," Ben told her. "We wouldn't think of asking you to do such things."

"What about the laundry?"

"The Chinese have a laundry. We send it to them."

"Oh," she said quietly. "You have the household arranged then. Do you have a vegetable garden?"

"Hop Sing takes care of planting vegetables. One of his relatives does the weeding and such. Then they come and help him do the canning and preserving."

"Oh."

"Anne, we have 200 ranch hands. You don't have to do anything. Besides, it's the least we can do for you having come this far at such great expense to settle this. I personally feel we owe it to you," Ben concluded.

"Well, then I accept," she said impressed. In her heart, she felt they owed her too but was not expecting them to be generous to her. After all, she didn't follow Adam, divorcing him instead. On the other hand, he abandoned his wife in the eyes of everyone. She never knew the words Ben had for Adam when he came home and told his father what transpired. In Ben's eyes, Adam should have taken his obligations as sacred. Marriage in those days was a tremendously serious institution. A man did not walk away from his wife lightly, nor did a woman divorce a man for less than adultery, and not even then most of the time. As out of character as it was for Adam Cartwright, he had made a terrible error of judgment in most people's eyes and especially Ben's.

"Well, if you would be interested, I need to plan a party." Ben looked over to Joe. "I spoke with Abe McClain yesterday. He and I agreed that you and Carrie should be married. We thought next year at this time would be good, if you are agreeable."

"Are you serious, Pa?" Joe said with some surprise. "He said okay?"

"Yes, he did, son," Ben said with a smile.

"Pa, that's great!" Joe whooped. "I thought she was too young to ask."

"She turns seventeen this summer. We thought it was old enough for an engagement. And you've been sweet on her for some time. He says she will be delighted. You should go ask her yourself though."

"I'll ride over there today. Thanks Pa!"

Hoss slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, Short Shanks."

"Congratulations, Joe," Adam said sincerely. "I mean that."

"Congratulations, Joe," Anne said sincerely.

"Thank you, Anne." He giggled his manic laugh. "I'm getting married! Me! I'm getting married!" He jumped up and started for the door. At 21, Joe was still impetuous and hot headed. "Uh sorry, excuse me, I need to uh, go…." He grabbed his gun belt fumbling to put it on. The others watched amused. Joe dropped it twice. Then he got his hat and green jacket, flying out the door. The others chuckled.

"I take it that's the party you want to plan."

"If you would like," Ben suggested casually, raising his coffee cup to hide his pleasure.

"Certainly, sir, give me a budget and I'll work with Hop Sing to make you proud."

"That's very nice of you, Anne," Adam said appreciatively.

"I'll need a guest list with addresses to have invitations printed up." The men smiled. Frontier parties were not so formal. Well maybe they should be. "What day will it be so that I may make arrangements to be elsewhere?"

Faces fell.

"Anne, we hoped you would be the hostess."

"Oh, that's really not my place, sir."

"I don't understand," Ben played coy.

"I don't want to damage Adam's reputation. Most people probably don't know about the divorce."

"You told the hotel." Adam said seriously.

"Actually, I did not register at the hotel as Mrs. Adam Cartwright. I was angry. I used my maiden name."

"What about the two prisoners, Pa?" Hoss asked. "They heard."

"They weren't paying attention," Ben assured them. "If they did, who would believe them?"

"Since the engagement is so long, perhaps you would like to postpone the party until after my departure. It would be better for Adam."

"Oh I don't think Carrie would wait that long," Adam chuckled.

"Why doesn't her father host the party?"

"He's her uncle and has no help in the house. Carrie could never manage such a party."

"Well then, I'll get it together for you and you can introduce me by my maiden name as someone visiting from the East."

"As you see fit, ma'am," Ben said casually. He wasn't going to push it right away.

Hoss felt her pain. He knew she was trying to do the right thing and felt humiliated, being put in such a position. Hoss didn't understand why his father was doing it either. She seemed to be a nice lady. The others didn't seem to notice how sad she was all the time. It made him wonder how they couldn't see it.

"How about that picnic?" Adam said more brightly. "Hop Sing should have the basket ready."

"I'll get my shawl and hat."

She rose to go upstairs. Once out of earshot Hoss had to say something.

"Pa, I don't understand. Why are you asking her to plan the party? She don't want to be here."

"Hoss, sometimes parties are good for people. It brings them out of themselves. Besides, what woman doesn't like to dress up for a dance?"

"That one, Pa," Hoss got up to start his day's chores.

At first, Ben dismissed the notion as Hoss being unsophisticated about women. Then he caught himself. Hoss knew how to handle wounded animals. He had that gift. Considering how Anne must have suffered with the label of a 'divorcee', Ben realized she had latent anger at Adam. They would have to address it before things could move forward. For the times, her anger was justified. Ben knew she felt Adam had wronged her by not abiding to the terms of the original agreement. He knew Adam felt she wronged him by not following him. Even so, she was here, so maybe they could find a way to forgive one another. If they could, it would take time. Ben planned to see it took as much time as he could give them. To that end, he had a little palavering to do with a certain Circuit Judge. No way was that case getting on the next docket. The next circuit would be two months after that. Then the passes would snow over. Ben smiled a satisfied smile that even Adam noticed.

"Pa, I spoke to Candy in town yesterday." He gave Ben a significant look. "Mighty nice idea you had."

"I am glad you thought so."

He glanced up toward the stairs. "Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word, Though in some part enforced to digress; Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse, as you shall well be satisfied withal. But where is Anne? I stay too long from her: the morning wears."

Adam got up to put on his gun belt and his coat, hearing her light steps at the top of the stairs. Hop Sing came out to tell him the picnic basket was in the buggy with a blanket. Remembering his guitar, Adam waited at the stairs to hand her down. She gave him a curious glance, not understanding the behavior towards her and off they went. The next few days passed as pleasantly. Adam paid her attention until he had to do some business in town. She wanted to go in to send a telegram back to Boston to advise her father of the situation. While Adam was at the Cattleman's Association meeting, she took the opportunity to consult Whitley Parker, the attorney, who was absolutely charmed.

"Ma'am, what the others told you is true. I'm surprised that your lawyer in Boston didn't suggest that you file for divorce as an abandoned spouse."

"I don't understand."

"Well, not knowing if he lived or not, you could have had him declared missing and divorced him on that basis. However, now you know he is alive so that option is no good."

"I see. Well, I didn't have such a good lawyer as you Mr. Parker. I am wondering if I shouldn't have left well enough alone."

"How do you mean, ma'am?"

"Since I do not contemplate ever remarrying, what difference does it make in the end if I give my cousin a half share? He can take the loans or we can devise a legal fiction of two corporations doing business with each other."

"Not really," Whit said cautiously. "Technically, Adam owns everything. You can't even sell your cousin that share."

"Oh, I am undone." She covered her eyes with the emotion.

"Ma'am, how is it you didn't know for all these years?"

"The first year, I was devastated. Then, I spent five years in college studying. I have a degree in mathematics. The next two years I was so busy building the business with money I inherited that I had no time to worry about anything. Then my cousin came to help. His father loaned us the extra money. We grew even bigger. So I went to a commercial bank last May. They did a check and discovered that I did not have the right to take the loan. If Edwin had gone, they would never have looked. Being a woman, they had to check to be certain I was unmarried. Who knew? My correspondence with Adam came to naught. So here I am."

"Most unusual, ma'am, that all this had to happen this way," Whit said cautiously. "I commend you on your diligence. Few women would have made such an extraordinary effort to put this right. What does Adam have to say about all this?"

"He's being very kind. He hasn't offered a single recrimination. His father has been exceedingly polite and kind. I am amazed that they would even think of having me in their home, much less have me for an extended stay. I never imagined it would take more than one or two meetings to get paperwork filed, hire an attorney, and then return to Boston. Of course, I was prepared to have to track Adam down for a few weeks. As it happened, he was exactly where he was supposed to be."

"The Cartwrights are known for their kindness and generosity. They are a leading family of the area. You couldn't be with nicer people."

"I am gratified to hear that. I had never met them. They are a most unusual family. Did you know they have a pet elephant?"

"Old Sheba, yes," Whit grinned. "Hoss took her in payment from a circus owner who couldn't afford to pay him for services rendered."

"And his father let him keep the thing?"

"Well, let's say getting Hoss to part with an animal in need is impossible. Ben already gave the animal back to the circus owner once. When the man died, one of the troupe brought it back to Hoss, knowing how well he cared for Sheba at the Ponderosa. Now, Old Sheba leaves the Ponderosa over Hoss' dead body."

They chuckled. "Mr. Parker. I never expected this to be so bizarre." She told him about the night of the naked men, the nits, the prisoners, the fire, and not being able to get accommodations anywhere, then Sheba bursting into the house, or at least the trunk. Whit was laughing with her by the end. "So I guess, I'm stuck or I go home this instant."

"How long, ma'am?"

"They said it would take six weeks plus two months."

"No, that's not what I meant," Whit said.

"Sir?"

"I'm an old country lawyer, ma'am… My mistake, it's your decision. I applaud your effort to put things in order. Adam will not challenge how you want to do things."

"I wasn't sure before I came and find it difficult to trust him now. I don't want to take any chances."

"The Cartwrights are some of the finest folks I have ever met, right up there with Abraham Lincoln. Why one time Abe said to me…." He recounted one of his famous stories about his friendship with Lincoln while they were young lawyers in Illinois. He had her laughing with him. She tried to pay his bill then and there, thanking him. Whit refused. Professionally, he worked for the Cartwrights and it would be a conflict of interest. After meeting her, he could understand why Ben wanted things slowed down. Walking her to the door, Adam saw them and joined the two. They exchanged pleasantries. Anne told Adam she had consulted Mr. Parker and received the same opinion. Thanking him, Adam and Anne departed. Only they ran into Laura Dayton, Adam's sometime girlfriend. She seemed surprised to see him with a woman.

"Laura, this is…"

"An old friend from Boston," Anne answered giving her maiden name.

"Oh that's nice you could visit," Laura said uncertainly. There was something about how the two stood together that made her think something was off. "Will you be staying long?"

"For a time, I brought so much news for Adam's father from all his old friends and family. My father and Adam's uncles are good friends."

"Oh so you knew each other when Adam was in college?"

"Yes we did. It seems like a lifetime ago. Strange how these things turn out. Adam always wanted to return here, though. He told us endless stories of the Ponderosa and now I am here to see it." Anne said brightly. Laura didn't quite know what to make of it. "Adam, why not invite Mrs. Dayton to dinner?"

"Oh, it would bore her, talking about people she doesn't know." Adam smiled at Laura. "I'll come by this week to see you and Peggy." Peggy was Laura's young daughter. Adam had been calling on her since Laura's husband died in a horseback riding accident the previous fall.

"That would be nice, Adam. Nice to meet you," Laura took her leave. She couldn't help turning around to stare again and then went on.

"Close call," Anne said. "So that's your girlfriend."

"We've been seeing each other but it's not serious."

"What is with you?"

"I deserved that."

They got in the buggy to go home. On the ride, Adam felt awkward. "Thanks for covering for me, Anne. It was big of you."

"I'm that kind of woman… oh that's right… you wouldn't know that would you?" She sniggered at him. "Laura seems nice enough. Peggy is her daughter I take it?"

"Yes, cute little girl about six years old." Adam was silent for a while longer. "I am not serious with her."

"She seems to feel proprietary. I'm glad you found someone."

"I have only seen her a few times. I was there when her husband had the accident. Hoss and I had to bring the body back to her."

"I'm sure it was awful. Well, I hope you two will be very happy."

"I told you. It's not serious."

"Right," she sniggered. "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

"Words to live by," Adam said evenly. "What about you? Leave anyone back in Boston?"

"No."

"Anne, I know you are angry with me. You have every right. I hope someday you can forgive me."

"I forgave you, Adam. I just haven't forgotten."

"Ouch."

"He that filches from me my good name, robs me of that which not enriches him, but makes me poor indeed." Anne looked away. "No one in Boston has forgotten that I am a divorced woman."

"Look, I wanted you to come with me."

"No, Adam, you didn't. You wanted out the same way you want out with this Laura."

"I asked you to come."

"Asked me? You are really something."

"You should have come."

"You should have stayed."

"You had the moral obligation to follow me."

"You had the moral obligation to stand by your promises."

"You are right, fine. I should have stayed." Adam pulled over to the side of the road. "I should have stayed. I should have gone back but I thought it was too late. I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I want to hear."

"Okay, I said it. You heard it."

"Fine."

"Fine." Adam didn't pick up the reins again. He sat there staring out, controlling his temper. More calmly, he spoke again. "Anne, for what it is worth, I am sorry."

"Thank you."

"Anne, since you have been here this week, so many times I…." He sat for many long minutes in silence. "You have been really decent about all of this." He picked up the reins. "Giddyap."

Back at the ranch, he helped her down and had a hand put the buggy away. For the rest of the afternoon, they avoided each other. Ben noticed. Well, they would have to sort it out. These things had to be aired before they could really heal.

Anne spent the time going through all the newspapers she bought, looking for rooms to rent. It was bleak. From what Whitley Parker told her, she was far safer and better off at the Ponderosa. The mining towns were very rough and conditions not even close to the Ponderosa let alone the hotel, which was full continuously. He told her she really didn't want to be in a hotel since it was not considered a domicile. Finally, Anne took a break and walked out to the corral to watch the horses. Hoss came to join her.

"Ma'am," he said softly.

"Please, call me Anne, just plain Anne," she said cheerfully to him. He was a nice man if a little different. Anyway, he was an innocent in these proceedings. Anne had no grudge against him.

"Anne, that's nice. I always wondered what you would be like. I was a boy when Adam went away. It seemed he was gone so long. I missed him something awful." Hoss watched a young horse prance around. "Adam took care of me since I was a baby. My Ma died out on the prairie when Injuns shot her with an arrow. It was just Pa, Adam, and me for a long time. I don't remember most of it because I was just a baby."

"How old were you when Adam went away to school?"

"I was ten years old. I cried every night after he left for a long time. Mamma Marie would tell me to be happy for him learning all sorts of things. When I heard he wasn't coming back, I ran away. Pa came and found me… told me not cry. He said you would come someday."

"Who's Momma Marie?"

"That was Little Joe's Ma. She died when he was five and I was eleven. So then, it was just Pa, Little Joe, and me for six more years until Adam came home."

"You must have been happy to see him," Anne said patiently to Hoss. She knew about him.

"I didn't hardly recognize him. He scared me at first because I thought some strange man was in the house."

"He looked that different?"

"That's a fact. He said, 'Hoss, don't you remember me?' and I said, 'who are you?' and he said, 'Adam.' And I said, 'Adam is in Boston. Who are you?' So he said, 'I came home.' And I said, 'If'n you are Adam where's Anne? My brother is married so where's your wife? You ain't here with no wife so you ain't Adam.' I nearly shot him I was so scared; but he made me look real close and then Pa walked in. I said it weren't Adam because Anne weren't with him."

"Well, that's understandable. You were expecting one thing and something else happened."

"I didn't understand for a long time why you didn't come, too," Hoss said seriously. "I still don't. Man ought to tend to his wife and never leave her. If'n I had a real lady like you for a wife, I'd never leave you, not for nothing. I'd do anything to make my wife happy. If'n she's happy then I'll be happy," he said earnestly.

"Hoss, you are a beautiful soul." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. He became bashful. She saw it. They exchanged small smiles. Hoss liked her instinctively, now he adored her.

"Many times, Pa yelled at him and told him he done wrong." They stared out at the horses. "Ma'am, what did he do wrong that you wouldn't come?"

"Adam broke his word to me about staying in Boston."

"Pa says when you marry someone you have to trust them absolutely. You didn't trust Adam, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why not?"

"I've thought about that over the years. I was afraid he would leave me and he did. It was better he left me stranded near my parents than out here all alone."

"I wish I had known so I could write you and tell you Pa would never let that happen."

"Well, life goes on," she said with a rueful smile. "We'll get the divorce right this time and he won't ever have to see me again."

"Oh Anne," Hoss said with feeling. "He should have stayed in Boston if that is what it took to make you happy."

"Well, we all make mistakes. I forgave him a long time ago."

"You are a good woman, Anne." Hoss frowned. "My brother is supposed to be real smart. He ain't."

"Well, don't tell him. The surprise might give him a heart attack." She giggled. Hoss missed a beat and then guffawed.

"Ain't you a caution?"

Finding in Hoss an easygoing soul, Anne shadowed him the rest of the day. He showed her his animals including Old Sheba. As big and childlike as Hoss could be at times, he knew his business around animals. He showed her the new foals, the new lambs, the new chicks, and his prize, a new puppy. Anne was amazed at how easily the animals accepted him with his quiet ways and soft touch. The raccoon with the injured paw let him handle her without a fuss as well. Being a city girl, Anne was intimidated by some of the animals and impressed with Hoss' abilities. He understood she was interested and appreciated the attention. In the barn, she let the puppy come to her and sit in her lap in the soft fragrant hay.

"Here now, you got the touch with that little one," Hoss said to encourage her. He started explaining about dogs. He told her how they were so very smart, not like horses. He told her stories of various animals and let her relax with him. Hoss was no fool most of the time. He observed people using his senses and intuition. From everything he could discern, Anne was on the level. Knowing that Little Joe wasn't so sure about her and her motives, he still accepted her at face value. She felt it and appreciated it.

Little Joe had the idea that Anne was after a share of the Ponderosa and was only there to make trouble. Part of it was Joe's antipathy to an outright Yankee. Joe had Confederate sympathies to a point since his mother had been from New Orleans. Oh, he wasn't in favor of slavery or secession really. From that point of view, he mostly supported the Union side of the matter, with strong feelings that the matter of States' Rights had much to do with the whole conflict. Being an independent frontiersman, Joe didn't like the idea of folks far away telling the locals how to run their affairs. Even though Anne didn't discuss politics, Joe wasn't warming up to her. Hoss knew she felt it. He knew a few things about her the others didn't. Always a gentleman, Hoss treated her courteously and kindly to make up for Joe's brash ways.

"It's right kindly of you to agree to plan Joe's engagement party, Anne," Hoss said as he bottle-fed a lamb whose mother some coyotes killed a few days before.

"Well, it's the least I can do in return for the hospitality," she said carefully. "I'm a good organizer. However, I think Hop Sing knows plenty about such things, especially how folks do things here."

"That's a fact," Hoss admitted. "Did you send your telegram in town today?"

"I did. Now we wait and see if it gets there."

"Something happened in town today, didn't it?"

"No, what makes you think that?"

"Oh, you and Adam came back unhappy."

"Well, call it a marital spat. I suppose it had to happen."

"Wounded feelings, huh?"

"Something like that," she said petting the puppy. "I'm only human." She set the puppy down to wander off. "I was wondering if you thought it would be safe enough for me to go into town by myself and look around. I don't want to inconvenience anyone every time I go."

"Well, it's like this," Hoss concentrated on how to put it. "There is so many new folks here these days that are so desperate, you could have a problem. If it were like before, there was hardly anyone here. But now, you being a lady and all, I'd feel very uncomfortable if you went alone."

"Adam would not let me buy a horse and buggy for myself for the same reasons. I wasn't sure he wasn't being overcautious or something else."

"Naw, Adam is right. Maybe when you learn the Ponderosa a bit more, you could go riding here alone if you stay close by."

"Could I go with you sometime?"

"I'd be proud to show you around. There's a pond not too far. You want some privacy. It's natural. Having to be with all of us all the time must be a trial."

"I guess I feel awkward even being here like this. I'm not here for a happy purpose. I don't know why all of you tolerate me like you do."

"Aw shucks, we ain't like that, ma'am."

"Please, just call me Anne. For a little while anyway, we are sort of family."

"I wish you would always be family."

"Why? I'm a total stranger. I could be up to no good."

"I knowed you ain't the minute I set eyes on you."

"You were barely aware of anything except that stew pail." She laughed.

"Oh I seen you, but I was nekkid. Clothes make the man. Nekkid people have little or no influence."

"You have a point."

"Most women would have fussed and flapped around about the sight of all that, but you found it funny. I liked you from that moment. If you don't laugh it problems, life will get you."

"I figure that life is too short to worry about little problems like that. You just deal with them and move on."

The conversation would have continued but for a great commotion outside in the yard. Hoss' face said he knew what was happening. The loudest most melodious singing came over the howling of a pack of dogs.

"Uh oh!"

"What?"

"It's Cousin Muley…"

Hoss ran out of the barn with Anne hot on his heels. Strumming his guitar oblivious to the bucking of horses in the corral; the howling of the dogs; and the bleating of sheep and cows, Cousin Muley Jones stood extra tall at 6'7" and … loud singing a ballad of lost love while his dogs ran into the house. Following them, Muley bellowed his hello to all his cousins, overcome by the dogs. Hoss and Anne made it to the door as Muley started another song while the dogs howled and crawled on people and furniture. As before, Muley's powerful singing voice affected the breakables in the house. Glass shattered on certain notes. China cups exploded. The chandelier crystals broke into bits. Muley was serenely unaware of the destruction. Ben got up furious.

"Get those dogs out of here!"

"Oh sorry, Cousin Ben! They's just so friendly like." He shooed them out but none of them moved. He shook Ben's hand until it would break and the others too. "I'm back from the gold fields of Cal-i-forn-eye-ay. And look what I got! Gen-u-ine bird dogs!...And you know I wasn't even fixing to buy bird dogs. But this passing stranger offered them to me and all I had to trade him was my claim over the mountains and he never even saw it but he took it anyways. I slickered him good."

"Wasn't the claim worth anything?" Ben asked patiently.

"Oh sure it was, but I'm tired of it and figure to go visiting. It's a powerful lot of work, that panning for gold."

"Well Cousin Hoss!" Muley smiled an extra big smile after he saw Hoss standing behind him. "I'm so happy to see you!" He shook Hoss' hand until it was ready to break off. "Well, now ain't you purty," Muley took off his hat to the lady. "I didn't know you had company, Cousin Ben. I'm Cousin Muely, Muley Jones, ma'am, pleased to meet you." He tried to shake her hand the same way. She cuffed him upside the head. Ben, Joe, and Adam sucked in their breath.

"OW!" She swatted him some more. "OH!" Hoss moved in between them to protect her and stop her swatting Muley.

"OW! Ma'am, I'm sorry, I surely am. I didn't mean no harm to a lady." He was crestfallen, knowing he did something wrong. Anne fled out of the house. Adam was angry, chasing after her to see the damage. Ben was furious even more so. But he knew he was dealing with a slow thinker, so he was patient in his correction.

"Muley, you just can't do that to a lady. You have to treat them soft and gentle. Didn't your mother tell you that?"

"I forgot, Cousin Ben. I won't never do that again," he rubbed his arm where she slugged him and the side of his cheek. "She's skinny but can really pack a wallop. Who is she?"

"Never mind, just get the dogs out of here."

"Sure thing, Cousin Ben." Muley rounded them up. "Can I put them in the barn, Cousin Ben? I don't want them to catch cold. They's mighty fine bird dogs."

"Fine, fine, put them in the barn, anywhere but in the house." As if remembering, Ben reminded him, "keep the singing …down." He motioned with both hands flat to the ground. "I sure will Cousin Ben." He took the dogs out. "What are we going to do now?"

"I dunno, Pa, but I'd let Anne swat him some more." Joe giggled. "It's safer than Adam punching him."

"I was more afraid Hoss would."

"What are you going to say about her?" Joe had a concerned almost alarmed look on his face.

"Not a thing, I'm going to let Adam make the introduction."

"Aw Pa, you sure you want to have her around? I mean when folks find out…"

"I want folks to find out," Ben huffed.

"Why? Adam will be ruined."

"Well, not for long, not if he takes her back."

"She doesn't want to be taken back. She wants to leave. She was studying the advertisements all afternoon for rooms and houses to rent."

"Did you go to Reno like I told you?"

"Sure, Pa, but I don't understand why you wanted to rent all those rooms. Who's coming? And why do you want them to stay in Reno?"

"Business, just keep your mouth shut about it, boy," Ben went outside to exert some control. One of the horses had kicked down the wood slat fence and bolted with the others to the pasture. "Go round them up, Joseph…and fix that fence Hoss." He got a chorus of 'yes sirs.' Anne and Adam were nowhere to be seen. They were in the rear yard by the water pump. Anne was soaking her little finger, which Muley bruised.

"Let me see it," Adam held out his hand. She took it out of the cold stream to look at it too. "Well, it's not broken," he wiggled it. You want me to bandage it?"

"No, the pain is subsiding."

"Anne, Cousin Muley isn't very bright."

"I noticed."

"There's bound to be some commotion with him around. His voice breaks glass and he's awfully loud. But he's really well meaning."

"Adam, I've been thinking. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to try to stay here. I'm going to try some other towns. Reno isn't too far. Maybe they have something over that way or beyond."

"Anne, for whatever it is worth, you are my wife and the Ponderosa is your home here. We are your family while you are here."

"Even Cousin Muley," Anne said sarcastically?

"Even Cousin Muley, he's Pa's cousin." Adam watched her pump more cold water into a tub and soak her finger, sitting on the bench watching the chickens scratch and dart about thinking they would be fed. "Hop Sing comes here to feed them." He added to make small talk.

"Why are you all being so nice to me? I don't understand it. I'm here to divorce you. You should have thrown me out or run me out of town so no one would know. Instead, your father wants me to throw an engagement party for Joe? That's weird. The whole situation is bizarre. I thought you would hate me."

"Hate you? Oh no, Anne, never," Adam said meaning it.

"Oh, I get it. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer so you know what they are doing?"

"You aren't the enemy and … neither am I. We were young and made a bad mistake."

"For ten years?" She snorted. "That's a whopper of a mistake."

"Yes, but you came," Adam sighed. "Maybe, it could be a good again."

"Yes, you will be free of me once and for all."

He gave her his most charming puppy dog expression. "You've been here almost a week now. You see how things are."

"How are they, Adam?" She said in disbelief. "You have a great big problem living in the house."

"You make too much out of it. Folks out here are more concerned with how you are now than what you did far away."

"I seriously doubt that. The fine churchgoing ladies will have a fit. Laura will have a fit. Tomorrow is Sunday. I'll go to a different church."

"There's only one. They are building another."

"Well, then I'll stay home. No sense in making this worse than it is."

"Oh it's not so bad. Is it?"

"Not yet, but let a few of your friends around and it will be awfully fast. I'll be gone soon enough, but you have to live here."

"Well, we still have nearly four months. I don't think a secret like this is going to keep. We might as well face it head on."

"Who's going to tell? Mr. Parker has to keep the confidence as a lawyer. The lawyers in Carson City have to do the same. I'll move out as soon as I find space. I saw rooms to let in Genoa. That's not too far from Carson City. I'll go Monday to have a look."

Adam sighed. They had forgotten about Genoa. Adam stood up and let her soak her hand while he went to get some ranch hands to ride to Genoa and deal with the rooms. On the way back, he ran into Muley.

"I'm awful sorry about the lady, Cousin Adam. I should go apologize better."

"Just stay away from her right now, Cousin Muley. She's really mad. You know how women take some time to cool down."

"Oh, right," Muley nodded his head as if he understood that. He had no idea. "I am right sorry I busted in on you having company and all. So, which one of you is sparking with her?"

"No one is sparking with her." Adam huffed.

"Well, then, maybe if'n I sing her enough songs, she might look favorable on me." He looked over Adam's head to see her coming around the kitchen wing. "Excuse me, Cousin Adam." Muley gently moved Adam aside. Adam crossed his arms stuffing his hands under his armpits to watch the fireworks. "Pardon me, ma'am, but I wanted to offer my sincerest apology to you for any hurt and upset I might have caused you."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones." She tried to walk away. He wouldn't let her. He strummed his guitar and started to sing a love song at the top of his lungs. The front two windows shattered sending shards in all directions. One of the shards struck Anne in the arm.

"OW!" She looked to see what stung her and pulled out a piece of glass. Her hand came away with blood. Adam saw it although Muley kept on singing. Anne ran off back to the kitchen for a towel or some rag to stop the bleeding. Adam shook his head thinking there would be trouble for sure.

"Where did she go, Cousin Adam?"

He got no reply as Adam sauntered into the kitchen to deal with the latest disaster. She had her arm under the pump at the sink.

"Here," Adam made sure all the glass was out. "Hop Sing keeps the bandages around here for kitchen accidents." He shuffled through the pantry and returned with gauze. She sat while he tended her, gently. Rolling her sleeve back down she caught his eye. Adam had real longing on his face. She avoided looking anymore at him. He took her hand in his, "Anne, I seem to be apologizing to you all the time. Really," he stopped seeing her look down. "Maybe I can't ever make amends. I sure would like to try."

"Why, Adam, what for? You have urges? You are curious? I'm not here to satisfy you. You don't care about me." She stood up. "I want to go to Genoa today. This is impossible." She stiffened. Listening to anything not to be in the moment, she heard all sorts of commotion outside. Adam didn't move for a while.

"Okay, Anne. I get the message. Monday, then, it's too late today. It will be dark in an hour." He kissed her hand and walked out of the kitchen. Anne went to the storeroom to have a cry.


	3. Chapter 3: Enter Mark Twain

**Chapter 3: Enter Mark Twain**

That night, Cousin Muley's hounds didn't stay in the barn. They wanted to be in the house with the people and found a way in through the back door. Ben even found one in his bed. He tried shoving it off only to have it jump right back on. Picking it up, he went looking for Muley. He was downstairs in the bedroom off the dining room.

"What did I say about no dogs in the house?" Ben remonstrated with a very sleepy Muley. "Take your dogs and put them out."

"Yes, sorry, Cousin Ben."

Muley rubbed his eyes and got up slowly. Ben handed the dog to Muley and went for a glass of warm milk. Muley rounded up all but one. Dislodged from comfortable beds and furniture, the hounds started baying. Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe came to see what the fuss was downstairs. Ben came back out from the kitchen only to be bowled over by the big bloodhound answering the call from Muley. The milk went everywhere. Anne came to the top of the stairs to see what catastrophe happened now. Muley saw her standing there with her soft brown tresses around her shoulders in a robe. Transfixed, he dropped the leads and the dogs took off all over the house again. Hoss followed his stare and saw Anne up on the landing. He stared, too. Adam rubbed his eyes, not believing the scene. Two men staring, slack-jawed made Little Joe looked up and do a double take. He gulped. Her sleepy soft form in the robe left no doubt as to her charms. Each one wondered what it would be like to hold her in their arms, all soft and sleepy like that. Adam got upset. He bounded up the stairs to escort her back to her room. The remainder of the night, the hounds bayed until Ben and the rest forced Muley to go stay with the dogs in the barn to keep them quiet. Anne was so exhausted she didn't even get up for breakfast. The others were long gone in the morning by the time she got up looking for something to eat. Finding a plate waiting for her in the kitchen she ate and washed up. Thankfully, she had the whole house to herself for the time being, at least until the dogs found the way back inside.

Life at the ranch was full of commotion during Cousin Muley's visit. Hoss and Muley spent too much time re-training the bird dogs to be coyote hunters. Ben was annoyed past the point of all endurance, yelling at Hoss to do some chores first before training the dogs. It did little good. The two men were like little boys with a play project. Roaming all over the countryside with coyote skins strapped to their boots, the pair on more than one occasion found themselves treed by the dogs. On the other hand, Hoss got some real exercise running from the dogs and climbing the trees. Adam managed to distract Anne from going to Genoa that Monday. He paid more attention to her and took her with him on business rounds to the sawmill and on picnics. They quarreled a bit. By the end of that week, she really had enough of them and decided to move on.

Having spent two weeks with that commotion, Anne was alone again on Sunday. With the men gone, Anne resolved to go to Genoa and search for lodging, not realizing Adam had dealt with Genoa's lodging the week before. Leaving them a note not to worry and promising to return the horse after purchasing one on Monday in Genoa, she mounted up and rode off. The trip took most of the day, passing through Carson City going south. By mid-afternoon as usual in the summer and late spring, the Washoe Zephyr started up blowing dust, sand, bits of greasewood, sagebrush, and all sorts of bugs through the air. She couldn't see her hand in front of her face and had to stop to tie a kerchief over her nose and the horse's nostrils. The dry alkali sand burned her nose into a nosebleed and covered her hair and clothing in what looked like ash. She figured this had to be the worst adventure she ever dreamed up. By and by, she did find other travelers and followed them until past the Zephyr's conditions. They pointed the turnoff to Genoa, pronounced ge-NO-ah by the locals. By then it was nearly dark, almost eight o'clock that May evening.

Meanwhile that Sunday morning in Virginia City, the sermon was all about divorce and how the Bible expressly forbade it, except for infidelity. The Reverend enumerated the whole list of don'ts and the extended reasoning on each one. He thundered against it, giving a fire and brimstone performance. All four Cartwrights were terribly uncomfortable. Muley sang his heart out on the hymns with Ben having to remind him to keep it down. He didn't feel like paying for busted stained glass. Adam clenched his jaw, but his neck veins were bulging.

Afterwards, Laura came up to them with Peggy to make her greetings. Adam was uncommunicative other than the most usual courtesies. Laura was confused but let it go with all the other people watching.

"Adam, when are you coming to take me riding on my pony?" six year old Peggy Dayton demanded of her newfound friend.

"I'm sorry, Adam," Laura apologized for her daughter's forwardness. "She is in love with that pony you gave her." Adam gave her a pony to distract her from her grief over her father, whom she adored and her mother despised. "Peggy, Adam has a guest at his house and must stay and entertain her."

"Why, can't she come riding, too, Mommy?"

"Peggy, I'm sure she could but she's not a very good rider like you," Adam said to be kind to the little girl. He was fond of her. "Maybe later, okay?"

"Okay," Peggy said so downhearted. "When are you coming, Adam?"

Ben intervened to speak to her in his best grandfatherly tones. "Peggy, we have a friend who came an awfully long way to visit us. Do you know she came all the way from Boston?" Peggy looked confused. "Well, trust me Boston is a very long, long way away. It took months and months for her to get here to see us. Wouldn't you want to see your friend if she came from so far away?"

"I guess so."

"That's a good girl. For a little while, we are spending some time with her."

"Where is she?" Peggy looked around.

"She's at home. She's tired after her long journey. You would be tired too after a journey like that."

"I get tired after riding my pony with Adam for an hour."

"Well, imagine riding a pony for all day, then not stopping but riding all week, then all the next, and the next."

"She's tired!" Peggy said emphatically. They all laughed. "I thought you said she wasn't good at riding."

"Well she's not. She took a ship and then a stagecoach. But it made her just as tired."

"Oh," Peggy didn't really understand.

Laura made her excuses and led Peggy off. She was very surprised that Adam didn't invite them for Sunday dinner, but he did have a special guest. The Pastor came to greet them seeing them standing there so perturbed. He didn't know what was wrong but he had the feeling something was. The Cartwrights had stone faces during the sermon and he noticed since they sat up front. He didn't miss Adam clenching his teeth. The Pastor also noticed that Adam gave Laura less than his usual charm.

"Excellent sermon, Reverend," Ben said to be nice.

"Interesting," Adam said with some polite tones. "How do you pick your topics each week? I mean you always have something interesting to talk about."

"With all the men coming here for the silver, I guess I wonder what happened to their wives. Men can come out here and make a completely fresh start without repercussions if no one knows they abandoned their families for the sake of riches. I got to thinking on it after the spring thaw with all of the miners arriving." He shrugged. "It's been on my mind I guess."

"Good sermon," Hoss said to be genial. He saw the dark look on Adam's face. Hoss wondered if Pa had put the Reverend up to it. He figured Adam wondered the same thing. Little Joe was standing with Carrie and Abe McClain. He had the biggest smile on his face every time he looked at her. She had the same smile. Folks were congratulating them.

"Congratulations on Little Joe, Mr. Cartwright," the Reverend said. "Now that's a fine young man. He'll make her a wonderful husband. She couldn't do better than to marry a Cartwright man. You folks have your priorities straight. My sermon would never apply to you. Excuse me."

"Pa, that was a little heavy handed." Adam said with a look.

"I had nothing to do with it. I swear. This time I really didn't."

"Sure Pa."

"I said I had nothing to do with it."

"Yes sir," Hoss said equally unimpressed.

Ben huffed at them protesting his innocence quietly. Adam walked off to Little Joe and Carrie. The McClains and Cartwrights acknowledged the engagement reminding folks of the party in two weeks. Ben even invited Walt Prescott. Walt was surprised but couldn't say no. It would be churlish. They were all neighbors and knew each other for a decade. Ben figured to extend the olive branch. They all had some fence mending to do after the mail order bride incident.

Muley brought the surrey around and off they went for Hop Sing's Sunday dinner of chicken. Hoss told Muley all about how hungry he was and asked if Muley would consider selling the hounds for his best squirrel rifle and fifty dollars. Muley figured he had something going with the dogs and said no because of the $2 a head bounty on coyotes the Cattleman's Association was paying. Hoss persisted until Muley said he'd ponder it.

At home, the men discovered that Anne was missing. Hop Sing said she rode off that morning to Genoa to have a look around. Adam turned right around and got on his horse to go after her, taking two bedrolls and supplies. No one said anything but Muley looked confused. Hoss sat down to the table not about to miss his favorite meal of the week.

"I thought Cousin Adam said no one was sparking with Miss Anne. He sure does fire up about her." He saw the strained faces and figured he should shut up and eat. Hoss made short work of the chicken. Ben pushed his food around. Little Joe ate in silence. "Cousin Ben, do you think Miss Anne left on account of me?"

"No, Muley," Ben said kindly. "She has a mind of her own."

"I never did understand who she is. Is she a relative too?"

"Muley," Hoss interrupted. "Suppose you and me go partners on the coyote bounty hunting. Now thems my coyote skins we been using to teach them dogs to scent coyotes. How about I give you sixty dollars and my best squirrel rifle?" Conversation continued about the dogs to the relief of everyone else at the table.

In Genoa, Anne asked after places to stay and found nothing was available. It seemed strange since no one could say whom had reserved the rooms and paid for them a month in advance. All anyone could say was some drifters came in saying they were coming back to use the rooms with some friends on the way to the silver fields. In the hotel, Anne sat down to dinner to contemplate the situation. A strange man came in alone and spied her sitting by herself. He approached and asked if he could presume since he hated eating alone.

"Of course, I would be glad for the company," Anne said. She introduced herself using her maiden name.

"I'm Sam Clemens, ma'am. I work for the _Territorial Enterprise._ That's the newspaper in these parts.

They chatted about Genoa and its prospects. The town was not thriving as much as Virginia City. He told her _The Territorial Enterprise, _was going to relocate up to Virginia City in the summer. The courthouse still stood keeping land records but was not in use. Otherwise, Genoa was little more than a stop on the way to Virginia City. Having a new face to go with new conversation, Anne found it a relief to be away from the Cartwrights even for a day.

"You sound as if you enjoy your work, Mr. Clemens."

"Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions, ma'am." His eyes crinkled. Looking at the menu, he couldn't decide. "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."

Anne giggled. "That is so true."

"Well, that's better," he said and ordered a steak. "You looked so sad when I came in."

"Just tired, sir." She sat quietly in thought. "I guess I'm not the best company. I had a long ride today."

"Now I had a terrible day. The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." He recounted a meeting with an important man. "He talked about Nevada and general American matters and questions; but he never paid any attention to me notwithstanding I made several attempts to draw him out on federal politics and his high handedness with Congress. I thought some of the things I said were mighty fine. But he merely looked around me."

"You must have felt awkward," she said to prompt him.

"By and by I subsided into indignant silence, and so sat hot and flushed, and execrating him in my heart for an ignorant savage. At the end, he put his hand on my head and said to my brother who is Secretary to the Territorial Governor, and said it you understand beaming and smiling in a benevolent manner, "Ah….your child I presume? Boy or girl?"

Anne gasped at the insult, "My goodness that is unmitigated gall. He will not fare well in the Monday edition I wager. You will report the meeting with his ill temper no doubt."

Clemens had a sharper twinkle in his eye as he said thoughtfully, "Get the facts first. You can distort them later."

"You have a wonderful way with words, Mr. Clemens. I am enjoying the evening so very much. Thank you for your company."

"Thank you, ma'am, I can live for two months on a good compliment." He ordered a brandy and offered her the same. They sat in companionable silence letting the blood sugar come up.

"Ma'am, are you from these parts?"

"No, I'm visiting from Boston. I went for a ride today to look for accommodations. I heard Genoa was a quiet place that might have vacancies."

"Normally, it does." He shrugged. "People are moving out and few are moving in."

"Then how come no properties are for sale?"

"I heard some people think there might be silver here, too and started buying up everything they could get. We figure some new mine will get started somewhere here and the mine wants housing for its managers."

"I see. I wonder if there is any employment here. I need something to do. Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

"You aren't working?"

"No, does the town have a teacher?"

"Yes, we do. We prefer someone have a high school diploma to teach here."

"I have a college degree in mathematics from Mt. Holyoke in Massachusetts."

"Most unusual," he murmured. "I suppose you could tutor some of the kids."

"Well, summer vacation is coming shortly, so I don't imagine there is much call for it."

"On the contrary, we are so snow bound in the winter we run school through the summer."

"In Massachusetts, we have so much snow we don't think about it."

"Well, you have better roads and more schools and this is more mountainous with higher snowfall. Where are you currently staying?"

"With some friends over toward Virginia City," she replied vaguely. "It's time I found my own place. Fish and houseguests stink after three days and it's been longer."

They both laughed.

"Well, I can't get any accommodation here so maybe the livery stable will let me sleep there tonight. Thank you for your company," She got up to pay and leave.

"Ma'am, that's not right for you to have to do that. Let me talk to the manager." He had the manager come and prevailed upon him, asking if any of the rooms were empty for the night. "One night couldn't hurt and if someone came, she could finish the night in the private dining room."

"All the rooms are being used except the suite, sir. We have that reserved as well. But as you say, it is late and the people would have arrived if they were coming." The hands Adam sent before stayed over once again to use the rooms and get drunk there again. They figured the rooms were all paid up in advance. Anne saw a couple staggering in on her way to her suite. She recognized them.

"I'm sorry," the manager apologized for the loud raucous behavior. We usually have a better sort here."

"Mrs. Cartwright, ma'am?" One of the hands, slurred practically falling on her. "You ain't supposed to be here."

"Ralph?"

"Yes'm, and this here's Charlie. We did up your buggy all week for you and Mr. Adam. Mr. Adam sent us here."

Charlie laughed. "Ain't that funny?"

"Shut your mouth," Ralph cautioned. "That's her."

"Who?"

"Mrs. Cartwright."

"Oh so it is." He leaned heavily on Ralph. "You ain't supposed to be here. Mr. Adam said so."

"What did he say, Charlie?"

"Are you related to the Ponderosa Cartwrights, ma'am?" The manager asked unctuously. He knew they were the richest people in Nevada.

"She's Adam Cartwright's long lost wife," Charlie sputtered. "That's who she is. Can you imagine a Cartwright abandoning his wife? It's a sin. That's what it is, a sin. And she's so purty too... and purty. Why, if I had a wife like her… "

"Shut up Charlie," Ralph said sobering up. "It's nobody's business."

"Ma'am, all the hotel is at your disposal," the manager was suddenly accommodating where before he was suspicious of a lone woman in riding gear at night. Sam Clemens silently watched the scene unfold. There was a story. He could smell it. Everyone knew about the Cartwrights. Sam rubbed his jaw where Adam slugged him for the article about a supposed wild man on the Ponderosa. People descended on the Ponderosa in droves to see the wild man. Clemens' retraction falsely had the man drown himself in Lake Tahoe. Adam slugged him. Then they worked together to defeat a crooked judge on a land grab for the railroad right through the Ponderosa. Clemens remembered Adam Cartwright for sure.

"Mr. Adam said to make sure she ain't here. She's here." With that Ralph tossed Charlie through the door to the dining room.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. He's drunk. He don't know what he's saying."

"Did Mr. Cartwright tell you to come looking for me?"

"No ma'am, well yes ma'am, sort of."

"I left this morning."

"They have been here since this morning too."

"That makes no sense." She looked at Ralph. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, G'night ma'am. If'n you need anything, we are right here. We'll help you get back to the Ponderosa all safe." He staggered through the door, hauled up Charlie and mostly dragged him up the stairs to their room. Anne stared after them puzzled.

"If it would not be too much trouble, I would like a hot bath in the morning, sir," Anne asked. "And I would like breakfast in my room at 7 am. Toast, one egg, jam, and coffee with cream and sugar."

"Of course, ma'am," the manager let her into the suite. "I'll have your bag sent up. If you like, we can set up the bath tonight."

"That would be appreciated. I smell like a horse."

She thanked Mr. Clemens for his company and ascended the stairs wearily. By the time the bath was over and Anne was asleep, Adam entered the lobby. Once he identified himself and said he was looking for a particular woman, the manager understood. He explained what transpired, with some curiosity and a little disdain. Adam asked him to be discreet and left a large tip, knowing it wouldn't last. You can't bribe people to keep that sort of secret. With the key in hand, he let himself into the suite. Checking that she was there, he took the other bedroom, leaving her a note on the marble top washstand where she would see it and one on his door. Then he washed in the tub and went to bed.

During the night, she had a nightmare. Yelling herself awake, Anne sat up to see the unfamiliar surroundings. It took a moment to realize where she was. Turning up the kerosene lamp, she got up to get a drink of water. She found Adam's note just as he came out of the room with his gun in his hand. She stared at him.

"You all right?"

"I was until you showed up. Going to rob me?"

"If you like," Adam said putting the gun down in his room.

Anne stood there in her chemise for a nightgown. Her soft brown hair draped around her shoulders. Back lit by the lamp, Adam appreciated the outline of her curves. He was in his long johns, having packed light. Still fit at thirty-three, Adam was a man in the prime of life. She glanced at him and turned to go, wordlessly. He caught her arm and hauled her in for a long kiss. At first, she was cold. Adam didn't let go wanting her so much. He cupped her face to look at her for permission the second time. He felt her relax. More gently and lovingly, he kissed her again. She was still cold but not resisting. Adam took it for consent and held her for another long kiss. She kissed back after a while. They had unfinished business. It took all night. In fact, it took them most of the week.

Men don't talk love to death. They really don't say much at all. Men show their love. They _**do**_ things for a woman. If a woman is smart, she will recognize the message. The more he does, the more he loves. Men equate physical love with an expression of their love. Adam was a man. Anne was a woman. Naturally, there were some crossed purposes. Well, they had been apart for ten years. Sitting at the window of the suite in Genoa, Anne looked out deep in thought. Their lovemaking was intense and somewhat overwhelming since Anne had a ten-year dry spell. She didn't remember it being this way didn't trust it. He seemed genuine, but she also knew he could be sneaky. An analytical person just like Adam, Anne was wondering if she were over thinking the problem. Still, actions speak louder than words. The man didn't come back for her in ten years. For that, Anne figured the past week was meaningless. Sure, he enjoyed the opportunity. In Anne's opinion, that's all it was: propinquity.

During that week, Adam had sent a note with Ralph that he was in Genoa with Anne to Ben. Ben read it and smiled. He thanked the hands, sending them off to do Hoss' chores since he was out with Muley trying to retrain bird dogs into coyote hunting dogs. Little Joe came back for 2 o'clock dinner, the main meal of the day in those times. Supper was usually leftovers since getting together more than two meals a day was a great burden for anyone in the kitchen. He found his father in Adam's room, digging through the dresser drawers.

"Any idea what happened to Anne or Adam?"

"He found her. They are taking some private time."

"You sure that's such a good idea, Pa?"

"I sure hope so."

"Pa, it's been ten years."

"She came all the way out here looking for him. Even if she did think she wanted the divorce, those two have something."

"Pa, she wants a big divorce settlement. You shouldn't let her stay here." Ben grunted finding what he wanted. "Oh come on, Pa. We don't know her."

"We know she is Adam's wife."

"Well I did some checking."

"Oh?"

"I sent a telegram to Captain Stoddard."

"Did he respond?"

"Not yet, but she has a message." LJ pulled out a telegram envelope for her.

"Did you read it?" Ben asked with disapproval.

"Sure I did." LJ opened it.

"_Don't humiliate yourself in their house. Get out. Check WFargo VC 10k. Dad."_

"I checked Wells Fargo, Pa."

"And?"

"I said she wanted to know if all of it arrived. They said it had. Then I asked the amount to be sure it was correct. They wouldn't tell me."

"That's good to know they keep things confidential. You shouldn't be reading her telegram either."

"Someone has to figure out what's going on. So, I took the teller out for drinks later. He got drunk and told me."

"Oh he did?"

"She has $14,000 here and a lot more in their San Francisco branch. What's she doing here with that much money if she thought this would be quick?"

Ben smiled. "I checked too. She is doing well in Boston. They are thinking of opening operations in San Francisco. So she is also here to evaluate that possibility."

"Then she does want to stay."

"Not here, but maybe in San Francisco," Ben answered. "She figured to get things started where no one knew her because of the divorce. She's tired of the stigma."

"How can a woman alone manage to start a tough business like that? Something is not right."

"Well, I'm sure she has made careful plans. That woman is too smart not to have some contacts here first. Let it alone, Joseph. They will work it out."

Shooing Joe out, Ben closed Adam's door. Joe shook his head not believing it was such a good idea. In a rush of barking and snarling, Hoss and Muley showed up with a pack of dogs chasing them to the door. Hoss' pants were ripped from dog bites. He complained a blue streak that those dogs were fine if you wanted to catch britches not coyotes.

"Pa, we done caught two coyotes," Hoss announced with glee.

"Yes sir, Cousin Ben," Muley said with some pride. "I believe you said that it was $2 a head. And well, not to put too fine a point on it, I do think this is a cash and carry bidness."

"Oh, sure," Ben took out some bills from his pocket and handed $4 to Muley. Hoss swaggered a bit and reminded Muley they were partners. Muley handed over one dollar.

"I said partners, Cousin Muley," Hoss reached over and plucked another dollar bill. "Huh." He grunted and stuffed them in his pocket. "Like you said, it is a cash and carry bidness."

The next morning Ben went into town to pick up the mail and run some errands. At the telegraph office, he received the replies to his inquires regarding Anne. Satisfied, he pocketed them and went on to the bank to complete some business before going to the land office and pick up a deed to some new property. As he tipped his hat to the matrons and ladies of the town, he received distinct snubs. A few of the men crossed the street to avoid his greeting. Thinking they were just in a hurry, Ben happily went forward with his errands.

Adam returned to the hotel from his morning walk for a newspaper. He choked upon reading the gossip column.

_**Leading Citizen Secretly Married For Ten Years**_

_Many will wonder at the dearth of women at a certain rich man's house. Unless they read this veracious history, none will be disposed to believe the malefactor is so upstanding a citizen. And yet, I can supply the Lawyer with evidence enough to convict in the courts of social congress and let the town-talk do the rest. Proofs like these are not to be set aside by the idle tongues of cavilers. To such as are not bigoted, and are willing to be convinced, they carry a conviction that nothing can ever shake. If even greater proofs than those I shall mention are wanted, to satisfy the headstrong and foolish that this is the genuine center of Nevada society, they are here. The greatest of them lies in the fact that from under these Nevada Ponderosa pines, the dust from which Adam was made, this surely can be regarded in the light of a settler. It is not likely that the original first man would have been made from an inferior quality of earth, when it was entirely convenient to get the first quality from the world's center that being Boston. And so, he was made and undone…in Boston._

_For it seems the folly of youth is no light matter, that being it's undertaking and consummation. For that is what happened in Boston Town some better part of a decade ago, a young man's thoughts turned to love and the peregrinations of the heart. For in that time as young men will, passion exceeds thought and thoughtlessness was the watchword of the day. He did foolishly woo and then wed a woman only to discover he did not truly blend with the dust of the center of the earth that being Boston. Returning to the great Nevada skies without said wife, the young man continued to prosper in wanton bachelorhood seemingly unbetrothed and available to the predations of women of such vigor as they do work for their bread in various stations. If there is a life that is happier than the life he led, I have not read of it in books or experienced in person._

_Lest you be envious of his unencumbered state, realize the woman was unamused to be wifed and cast off. Thus, she did undertake a most heart-rending journey through the most desolate regions of the earth, beyond far Patagonia's shores. Although it did take her ten years of strife and hardship, she did find her mate thinking to undo the bonds and live free herself, petitioning him and the courts for relief of her marital duty, having been so carelessly abandoned for such years that her youth and beauty were wasted for naught. Finding the scoundrel this spring under the smoke and turmoil of Virginia City's late calamity, she claimed her long lost spouse, the love of her life, rent from her by selfish greed, as the not-so-young man's heart turned to mischief, wooing the lady again and heartlessly summoning from her the long held desires for his sport. For in truth, he has not acknowledged her but keeps her for his camp follower separate from his prominent family and all the world._

_There is something about the desperado nature that is wholly unaccountable at least it looks unaccountable. It is this. The true desperado is gifted with splendid courage, and yet, he will take the most infamous advantage of his sorry state that being wifeless, but while armed and free, he will stand before a host and fight until he is shot all to pieces. And yet when he is under the banns of matrimonial bliss and helpless he will cry and plead like a child it was not his fault. Many a notorious coward, many a chicken-livered poltroon, coarse, brutal, degraded, has made his excuses without a quaver in his voice. If the moral courage to run is not the requisite quality, what could it have been that this stouthearted pillar of society lacked? I think the conundrum is worth investigating under the tall Ponderosa Pines._

In Virginia City, Ben Cartwright became apoplectic reading the column someone showed him as he left the bank. His first reaction was to buy up all the day's copies. He realized that was useless since the paper distributed widely over the Territory. Not knowing which way he wanted to walk, Ben stood squarely in the middle of the street furious. Seeing him out there, Whitley Parker ambled out to discover the problem. After reading the text, he drew a red-faced Ben Cartwright into his office and out of public view.

Reading the same edition, Adam spun in his tracks and headed off for the offices of the _Territorial Enterprise._

Sitting at the window in her suite in Genoa, Anne tapped her copy of the newspaper, delivered with her breakfast. The disaster of Adam Cartwright plagued her life no matter how far she went to hide. It had to have been the ranch hands and someone in a lawyer's office that knew too much and said too much. Anne knew she had been careful until that night with Sam Clemens in the hotel dining room. She debated showing it to Adam and decided he'd see it for himself or he wouldn't. There were only two more weeks to go until her domicile would be complete and she could file for divorce. Gathering up her things, Anne packed to go quickly and end it. A knock on her door announced the Sheriff of Genoa. Opening the door, she granted him entry. He took off his hat in respect.

"Ma'am, are you Mrs. Adam Cartwright?"

"I am."

"Your husband is in jail for assaulting one of the reporters at the newspaper. He wants to speak with you, ma'am."

Anne sighed heavily. "Of course, Sheriff, lead the way."

At the jail, Adam leaned back against the adobe walls of the jail, which kept the place quite cool in summer. The mid-May morning was hot and getting hotter out on the desert plain. While he waited, he tossed a small box to play catch with it and amuse himself. Presently, Anne came in escorted by the Sheriff. She stood there silently, regarding him through the bars. His face was swelling up where someone landed a few blows. Anne considered leaving him there and making a run for it. Still, they had been good together the past week. She shook herself mentally.

"Anne."

"Adam."

"Uh could you bail me out?"

"Depends."

"The bail is a hundred dollars ma'am. The victim is pressing charges."

"Did you hurt him real good?"

"I gave more than I got."

"In that case, I'll pay the bail, Sheriff."

She reached into her purse and counted out the bills and coins. He gave her a receipt and let Adam out. Adam silently put on his gun belt and retrieved his hat. Checking there were still bullets loading the pistol, he walked out holding her arm. Calling back over her shoulder, she said, "Keep the cell ready for me. I'll be next." Adam jerked her out with him.

For the first time, Ben felt his age. He sat across from Whitley Parker, a normally heavy drinker, who poured two stiff ones for himself and Ben. Ben's hand shook as he knocked it back. If that reporter had been there, Ben would have shot him dead.

"So we sue him and the paper for libel. I'll throw in slander for good measure too. Intent to do harm, we argue."

"The thing is…" Ben poured another. "It is essentially accurate."

"How so?"

"They are in Genoa at the hotel sorting things out between them. They needed some privacy."

"Oh, I see," Whit rubbed his stubbly chin. "Well, I guess we can call off the dogs on lodgings around here."

Ben only nodded.

"If you want my opinion," Whit paused. Ben nodded and drank again. "I'd brazen it out. I'd flaunt it. You are still a big fish around here Ben. Cartwright's sneeze and folks here catch colds."

"Not like it used to be, Whit," Ben groused into his glass. "With all the mining, the big money is in silver now. I still have influence but not like before."

"You have as much influence as you say you have. Go to your old friends quietly. They'll still back you because it is still in their interests to back you. Just because some biddy gets her nose out of joint, doesn't change people's economic interests. Why, it's self-preservation." Whit poured for both of them.

"Maybe, but many of those have also invested in mining. We all have."

"That's right," Whit said setting down the bottle. "Everyone has. So no one is in a better position to wield power than the old timers who know the ropes and have a stake in what happens here. The newcomers are here for quick money and they are gone…out of here. One big mine fired its whole management crew last week because of the cave in."

"Maybe," Ben allowed felling a little better. "By golly, that's what I'm going to do. My son is married so what is anyone going to do about it? Not invite him to some parties?" Ben stood up. "Adam travels for me on business far and wide. What he does, people here can't influence. He runs the timber business and much of the ranch operations. Folks here don't have enough places to live. There isn't enough food here. What are they going to do, not buy my lumber and not eat my beef?"

"That's the spirit!"

"Thunderation, I won't be buffaloed by some old hens. I'll charm them until they don't know what hit them!" Ben reached into his pocket and paid his bill to Whit for all the commotion of the past few weeks. They shook hands as Ben walked out head held high. He greeted each and every person he passed refusing to let them go without a suitable greeting back. Huh, he was Ben Cartwright after all. Heck he had a party already planned.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…. Hop Sing came barreling out of the kitchen to Hoss in the yard looking to elude the dogs. He was carrying the newspaper his Chinese friends delivered along with the laundry. Hop Sing smacked the newspaper and handed the article to Hoss with a huff and a grunt.

"Now no one come to Little Joe's party Saturday night."

Hoss stood there reading and got furious. His face clouded over and he had a look that would stop a bear in its tracks. Muley came around the barn, looking backwards calling the dogs. When he saw Hoss' face he stopped dead in his tracks. The dogs did too, on Hoss' command. They knew when someone meant business.

"What's wrong, Cousin Hoss?" Muley asked in dread. He had never seen Hoss angry. "Them dogs is sitting just like you told them for a change." Muley saw the newspaper in Hoss' hand. Hoss clenched it so tight his knuckles turned white. Muley's jaw dropped seeing pure murder in Hoss' eyes. He gulped. "I'm sorry for whatever I done wrong, Cousin Hoss," Muley said tentatively. "I know I busted a few things and got your britches half tore off but…."

"It ain't you, Muley." Muley sighed his relief. "If'n I see who wrote this, I'll squeeze the life right outta him with these two hands or shoot him first." Hoss stalked off, dashing the paper to the ground. Muley hesitantly picked it up and read it. He had to read it very slowly because of all the big words. He didn't understand most of it. He did understand someone was married in secret.

"Cousin Hoss, I knowed you are all upset but would you tell me what this means?"

"It means a pack of lies."

"It says a woman from Boston found this man after ten years searching for him. That's a powerful long time. It says she still loves him but he's just messing with her again like some lowdown dirty polecat."

"It's not like that." Hoss growled.

"Do you know this feller?" Hoss didn't answer. "Oh, you do." Hoss still didn't answer chopping a big block of wood in his anger. "Miss Anne is from Boston, ain't she?"

"That's a fact." Hoss swung hard, splitting a big chunk in one ferocious blow.

"Is she married to Cousin Adam?" Hoss nodded yes, unable to speak in upset. "Why didn't no one tell me? She's my kin, too." Muley was hurt they kept it from him. He valued relatives as much as his guitar.

"It's complicated."

Muley stared at the print not understanding how one of his kin could do something so bad it made the newspaper. "What are you going to do, Cousin Hoss?"

"I'm going to go find that man who wrote this and make him eat them words. I'm so mad I could bite a porcupine."

"But if it's true ….?"

"Ain't true like he wrote it."

"What ain't true?"

"Adam ain't hiding her. They wanted some privacy to talk is all."

"Did he leave her in Boston?"

"Muley, take them dogs and bed them down in the barn and don't give no one no trouble tonight. When Pa sees this he's going to be more fired up than greased lighting."

At that moment, Laura Dayton drove up in her buggy without Peggy. The look on her face said she read the article. She saw Muley holding the paper and the stricken look on his face. She saw Hoss with murder in his eyes. She gasped.

"It's true!"

"Now ma'am, before you get all het up about it," Hoss motioned her to settle down. "Adam was going to tell you. He had to go to Genoa on business."

"Sure some business," Laura said with a catch in her voice.

"No ma'am, you see ma'am," Hoss tried to formulate his words carefully. "See, Adam thought he was divorced a long time ago. Only," Hoss wrestled with the words. "Only there was a mistake by a lawyer. Anne told Adam three weeks ago and been trying to straighten it out."

"A mistake?"

"Yes'm," Hoss tried to break it to her. "Miss Anne thought they was divorced, too. When she found out they weren't, she came here to fix it."

"So why don't they fix it?"

"Anne has to live in Nevada for six weeks before anyone can fix it. That's the law, ma'am. So she was staying here with us."

"That's right friendly of you," Laura sneered slightly.

"Ma'am, ain't no one angry at Anne. She's a good woman." Hoss said it firmly but gently. Laura swallowed her next retort. "Now you know."

"Well, that is different than that story in the paper." Laura picked up the reins. "I suppose Adam doesn't owe me any explanation. There is nothing formal between us." She said to recover some dignity.

"Ma'am, ain't no one trying to hurt you."

"I understand, Hoss. Thank you." She drove off.

"I don't understand, Cousin Hoss. I thought Cousin Adam was sparking with Miss Anne… Cousin Anne."

"Muley, stay out of it. That's the best thing you can do."

Little Joe rode up at a trot and reined in to avoid colliding with Laura's buggy. He tipped his hat but she ignored him.

"What's her problem?" Joe looked backward and swung down off Cochise.

"She read the newspaper." Hoss swung up on Chubb.

"Huh?" Muley offered the newspaper in a long outstretched arm. LJ only had to see the headline.

"Oh no!"

"Oh yes, I'm gonna make that varmint eat that there newspaper. Give it here," Hoss leaned down for it.

"Wait…wait just a minute," He was reading quickly. Joe gave a low whistle. "Pa is going to have a fit."

"Gimme that," Hoss swiped it. "I'll be back with the carcass."

"No, no no Hoss!!!!" Joe tugged on him, to no avail. Hoss, you have to know that Adam is asking Anne to take him back."

"Dadburn it, I figured that much."

"You did?"

"I ain't blind." Hoss dismounted with LJ tugging on him, "Leastways not like some folks."

"What do you mean?"

"Anne don't want to be here. Adam don't want to see that, ner Pa neither."

"Obviously, she can't stand Adam, running off like that."

"No, Joe, I figure it like this," He pushed his hat back. "She's so scared all the time she don't know how to think about these things no more."

"What's she got to be scared of?"

"Everything, Joe," Hoss said with certainty. "She's all alone."

"She's not all alone, Hoss. Her father just sent her ten thousand dollars."

"Joe, why do you think he did that? Huh?" Hoss said pondering how to say it. "He don't want her back. He give her so much money she can go anywhere but home. She is just plain scared in a deep down scare."

"Her own father told her to get out of our house so she wouldn't humiliate herself. Now that sounds like he cares."

"That's his pride talking. She only stayed because Pa made sure of it."

"He only offered her because he feels guilty."

"Joe, he bought all the lodging space in Nevada. There weren't no place for her to stay but here."

"That's why Pa sent me to Reno?" Hoss nodded. "Wow, that's devious even for Pa."

"She's afeared of Adam so she ran off anyway." Hoss strode back to the chopping block, thinking. "I heared she got all the way to Genoa before Adam caught her."

"He should chase her off not catch her." Hoss only shook his big head with his bright blue eyes, looking up to the sky over that remark. "What's he want her for anyway?"

"He wants what's his."

"Aw come on, she didn't want him ten years ago, why would she want him now except for a big payoff?"

"Joe, she didn't trust him back then. He left her and proved her fears."

"She refused to come with him. She left him!"

"She was too scared to come. Adam didn't give her no peace about it." Hoss gave him his smug look since he knew something Little Joe, the rake didn't know. "Most women are scared all the time. That's why they act so crazy. We menfolk have to gentle them until they to learn to trust a man. No different from gentling any other thing."

"But Adam was her husband. She had to trust him."

"And he left her. Woman don't forget that." Hoss chopped some more big chunks, while LJ pondered it.

"Carrie trusts me."

"No she don't," Hoss guffawed. "She likes you. You ain't proved nothing to her."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see it in her eyes." Joe pondered it and shrugged. Hoss shook his head in wonder that Joe didn't know that.

"Pa says she's going to open a branch of her business in San Francisco. He did some checking."

"Sounds about right," Hoss said. "I could have told him that."

"She tell you?"

"Nope." LJ waited for Hoss to get his thoughts together. Hoss came to understandings slowly and expressed himself carefully. LJ knew to wait for it. "She figured to start a new life out here only she come to find out she ain't divorced like she thought."

"She's after money. I got that figured correctly."

"Aw shucks Joe, you got some mean supposing. You have to let a woman talk to you. It will come out. I learned that from Regan and Helen." He frowned in distaste. "She ain't one itty bit like them two."

"How do you know? She could be fooling."

"Now you see, Little Brother, that's where you don't know nothing about women." Joe popped him an open-faced eyes wide innocent look, pointing back to himself, mouthing 'ME?' to Hoss. "That's right, you." Joe giggled. "I …let her talk to me." Hoss swaggered, jutting his chin out. "I… listened real good. If'n you want to know something about a woman, you let her yammer her head off."

"My brother the philosopher on women," LJ giggled. Hoss' face clouded up. "Okay, I believe you. She wants the divorce and is scared of Adam. What does she think he was going to do to her?"

"Kill her before anyone found out."

"You think she told the newspaper?"

"Probably not, she figured to run. Probably was one or more of the hands we sent around to buy up the lodging."

"If I didn't know why, how did any of them know?"

"Bunkhouse is small. They overhear something. Can't keep that secret no how."

"If she was so afraid he'd kill her, why go with him on a picnic like that?"

"Because everyone knew she went with him."

"He could say she had an accident."

"That's why she ran this week. Your party is in two days. She figured he'd act by then."

"Oh, makes some sense. No, that's too extreme. Adam would never..."

"She's so riled up she's liable to believe anything after ten years thinking him more low down than a snake's belly."

Ben arrived at the ranch. Hoss told him about Laura's visit.

"A woman is courted for that long by a man, men think of her as Adam's property and don't call on her. It's not fair to her. I guess she has some right to know."

"What we gonna do about that newspaper, Pa?" LJ demanded.

"Hold our heads up, boy. That's what we do. It don't change anything. We make folks understand that it was an honest mistake and Adam is putting it right. What can they do about it?"

"Shun us."

"For a while maybe, but I doubt it. Folks that like us, respect us, will look on it kindly. Others can go hang themselves." Ben handed Buck off to a hand and strode into the house.

In Genoa, Anne considered the situation, regretting having bailed him out and hoping against hope she was wrong about Adam. Mulling it over, she changed her opinion from defending her to him fighting for his good name. Anne considered getting to a stagecoach and taking off entirely. Now that she knew he had such wealth, there was nowhere for her to run he couldn't find her in this area. Everyone knew the Cartwrights. Now they knew about her, too. This whole idea to fix the problem was causing more problems than it solved. When he showed up that first night in the suite, she could have screamed her head off, only she was still Mrs. Adam Cartwright and his property. No one would have interfered. Anne figured that since Adam had his way with her, he would finish what he came for on the trail home. Arguing with herself he wasn't like that, she figured he made love to her not war on her. Stymied, she stood transfixed at the window weighing the options.

"Come on, Mrs. Cartwright," Adam said to her gently. She was deciding something. He could see it. Some of the old memories of her gestures and ways came back to him. Unconsciously, she was exhibiting them for him to read. "Folks will take our lead. We hold our heads up high and show them how they are supposed to react. You'll see. Some will have to show their moral superiority and others will be more compassionate. In the end, we are still the Cartwrights and they can't ignore us for long."

"This is a bad idea. I never should have come here. I should have let sleeping dogs lie."

"You could have to a point. Eventually, someone else would have found out and ruined your plans to settle in San Francisco." She whirled on him in surprise. "Oh Pa and I made some inquiries in Boston. The telegraphs work just fine. We had folks we still know wire us collect."

"And what did they tell you?"

"That you do own a chandlery. That you are well known. You are financially sound. And they mentioned that you had some difficulty with the law." Adam saw her flinch. "We understand that your father thought you should move." She nodded silently. "What happened?"

"Did they tell you I got arrested?"

"No," Adam was shocked. She frowned. He watched her, waiting for the rest of it.

"I tried to vote." She smiled ruefully. He relaxed. Then he found it faintly amusing. He shrugged. "It bothers you?"

"Well, in the sense that it is against the law," he trailed off. "But then so is slavery and we are fighting that. So, not really."

"I tried to vote many times." She checked his reaction. "I got arrested almost every time."

"And you didn't stop?"

"No." She faced him head on. "I got in a lot of trouble."

"I can imagine you would." He snorted. The idea of her trying to vote made him snort again. It was almost funny. "Are you going to try to vote here?" Adam asked with a smug smirk imagining how that would fare. He folded his arms across his chest picturing her in line to vote.

"I wasn't planning to stay long enough." She eyed him. "Anyway, I'm not a resident yet. One problem at a time," she smirked back at him. Adam inclined his head. "What else did they tell you?"

"Oh that you were difficult, headstrong, and such, I knew that." He chuckled. She snorted. "No surprise there. Did you do anything worse?"

"I went kicking and screaming when they hauled me off. It didn't play well." Adam nodded, knowing there was more. "So they charged me with resisting arrest and a few other things." Adam waited patiently. "I said a few things in court about how the Declaration of Independence did not say only Anglo-Saxon men had the right to vote. Women have inalienable rights, too. The judge held me in contempt of court. I called it kangaroo court, so of course it was contemptible. For smart mouthing him and my history of civil disobedience, he sent me to prison."

Adam sucked in his breath. "What happened?" Adam leaned back to listen to her burning passion as she talked about injustice.

"I was in prison for three months the last time. And…"

"The last time?" Adam asked, alarmed. She bollixed up. He knew there was much more, at that point. "And what, Anne?"

"All of the women involved in the voting arrests went on a hunger strike. After eight days they started to force feed us." She shook her head remembering. "It was brutal." Adam took her face in his hands and stroked the tears down her cheeks. "I held out as long as I could, but I was weak."

"No, you weren't." Adam said with care. "Not at all, you were very brave to stand up for what you think is right."

"You mean that?" She searched his face. He nodded. They stood at the window in silence, regarding each other for signs. She laughed ruefully, "So you see I'm pure trouble."

"That you are," he chuckled. She stiffened, afraid. He felt it. "Anne, all of us have been arrested for one thing or another over the years, like punching the reporter back there." He wasn't concerned, which surprised her. "Bar fights, trespassing, threats of bodily harm, mistaken identity, shooting folks… in self-defense of course…does that shock you?" She shook her head yes. "Hoss and Little Joe robbed a bank and had Wanted pictures of them up all over the Territory."

"What?"

"Pa nearly lost the ranch trying to raise $100,000 dollars to cover the missing money."

"A hundred thousand dollars!!!! What happened?"

"They were actually trying to save the depositors' money from a secret scheme to close the bank. Only the bank officials robbed them later and took off. Eventually, my two brothers got it all back and everyone was happy. Twice," He pulled his collar, "I even had a noose around my neck, Pa too. Of course it was all an error and got sorted out just before they kicked the box out from underneath us." It was her turn to be appalled. He put his arm around her, "You are keeping up the Cartwright family traditions." Adam grinned. She stared at him in shock. "It is the wild west out here, like you thought. So how come you finally came out here? A little voting fraud isn't so bad." He flipped his finger on her nose, smiling at the joke.

"It is in Boston. My father said I could move away or he would disown me. I ruined his practice. Edwin's father agreed to make a loan to the company for him to buy in and eventually buy me out. I negotiated with them to set up in San Francisco. It's still wide open out here so I can get a foothold on the docks. Some of the same sea captains sail here as well. They said they would give me their business if I did set up in San Francisco. It's a start at any rate. If I can't do it in San Francisco, I might go up to Oregon."

"Anne, you _are_ my wife. This time no mistakes." He kissed her. "Stay."

"And do what here, exactly?"

"Be my wife." She simply stared back at him. Was he fooling her? Those were some wild stories.

"We are ruined here now that newspaper printed that...that..." She pointed at the paper lying on the table.

"We've faced worse than a few wagging tongues."

"You don't need me. It's been ten years."

"I want you," Adam said thoughtfully. "Anne, we shall do fine. Then when the children come, you'll be plenty busy."

Anne looked away. "And if there are no children, will you hate me and think you made another mistake?"

"Are you telling me there is a problem?"

"There could be. I'm not so young anymore." They were silent, listening to the clip clop of horses on the street below. "Marry Laura and have lots of babies."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he murmured in her ear. "You are my wife. This time we do it for better or worse."

She turned to study his eyes. "Are you absolutely sure?"

For an answer, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box Ben sent to him at his request. "I saved these." He opened it. Inside were their wedding bands. Taking her hand he slipped hers on. Then he gave her his. She hesitated until he took her hand and had her put it on his finger. Then he kissed her and didn't let go for a long while. She felt a stirring long thought dead… hope.


	4. Chapter 4: Kiss Me Kate?

**Chapter 4: Kiss Me Kate...er... Anne?**

"What's wrong, Anne?" Adam broke off their kiss. She shook her head. "What?"

"It's silly," she tried to break away. He held on and then released her. "Adam, this is so strange. I mean we've been apart for ten years. I'm back for three weeks and all this? I tell you something dreadful and you don't care?"

"I didn't say I didn't care. I'm just not worried too much."

"Adam, this is not like you. Your ex-wife, wife, whatever, tells you about going to jail and you are okay with that?"

"I'm not okay with it. You broke the law and not once. Sure the judge had to do something. Sending a bunch of ladies to prison was excessive in my opinion, but I don't know what the law required."

"He could have left us in the city precinct jail but he wanted to make an example of us. It's not only happening in Boston but all over New York and other places as well. It's even happening in England."

"I hadn't heard." Adam sat down to think. "So you are saying this is a very organized response to the voting laws?"

"Yes," She paused a moment. "Adam, I also…."

There was a knock on the door. Adam answered it. It was Sam Clemens. He was the worse for wear. Candy was there right behind him, having brought the box to Adam from Ben. Adam took one look at Candy who nodded that he was ready for anything.

"What I came to ask is if Mrs. Cartwright would like to make a statement for the paper. My editor thinks her side of it should be heard." He saw she was there. "Ma'am, if I could have some of your time to put your version into print to have a more balanced version."

"What ho! The villain doth cross my threshold!" Adam sputtered half in jest. Running up to Clemens' nose, Adam did quote more somewhat modified.

"And here she stands, touch her whoever dare;  
I'll bring mine action on the proudest he  
That stops my way in Genoa. Grumio,"  
Adam said to Candy, who looked confused.  
"Grumio… I SAID… Grummio,"

_Candy pointed to himself. Adam continued raving,_

"Draw forth thy weapon, we are beset with thieves;  
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.  
Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch  
thee, Anne: I'll buckler thee against a million.

Adam pushed Anne behind him and drew his weapon. Clemens raised his hands fast.

"Where be these knaves? What, no man at door  
To hold my stirrup nor to take my horse!"

(Take my horse….Horse?) Adam chucked his head at the stairs…twice. (Take my horse?) He chucked it again.

Candy was really confused until he got it.

"Here?"

"Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! You logger-headed and unpolish'd grooms! What, no attendance?  
No regard? No duty? Where is the foolish knave  
I sent before?

"Uh, there?" Candy pointed outside, finally getting into the idea.

You peasant swain! You whoreson malt-horse drudge!  
Did I not bid thee meet me in the park?" Adam chucked his  
head towards the hall stairs. "I said, did I not bid thee meet  
me in the …_**PARK**_?"

"Uh, uh, yes, sir."

"Be off with you knave!" Adam pushed Candy toward the stairs. Turning maniacally to Anne, who was wide-eyed and with his back to Clemens, Adam raved more.

"Will we return unto my father's house  
And revel it as bravely as the best,  
With silken coats and caps and golden rings,  
With ruffs and cuffs and farthingales and things;  
With scarves and fans and double change of bravery,  
With amber bracelets, beads and all this knavery."

Adam grabbed their bags, tossing them down the stairs. Then he took her hand so sweetly, kissed it, and yanked her out the door. Dragging her down the stairs, she tripped so he carried her, and stuffed her on the back of her horse that Candy had ready. Clemens, the hotel manager, and some staff came pouring out the doors. Adam waved at them and shouted turning his horse around to them.

"Well, come, my Anne; we will unto my father's  
Even in these honest mean habiliments:  
Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor;  
For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich;  
And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds,  
So honour peereth in the meanest habit.  
What is the jay more precious than the lark,  
Because his feathers are more beautiful?  
Or is the adder better than the eel,  
Because his painted skin contents the eye?  
O, no, good Anne; neither art thou the worse  
For this poor furniture and mean array.  
if thou account'st it shame. lay it on me;  
And therefore frolic: we will hence forthwith,  
To feast and sport us at my father's house!"

With that he grabbed the reins of her horse to lead them all off back to the Ponderosa with Clemens laughing his head off on the steps of the Genoa Hotel.

Once they rounded the bend, Adam tossed to her the reins to her horse, grinning like a fool. She laughed her head off. Candy wasn't too sure he liked what Adam said, but realized it was play acting.

"You know, Adam Cartwright," Anne said through her laughter. "You are insane!"

Adam pulled his horse even with hers and leaned over to tell her, "The only killing I'm going to do with you is killing you with kindness." He kissed her hand, "And that's a promise."

"I'll hold you to it, Petruchio!"

"Kiss me Kate!" He slid off Sport to help her down. There on the dusty trail in the middle of nowhere, they made a truce in each other's arms.

It was a long dusty ride back to the Ponderosa. They stopped in Carson City for a rest in the hottest part of the day. While there, they had lunch at the hotel and sat quietly talking. Candy felt a little awkward.

"Have you decided how you are going to handle it at the party?"

Adam shrugged. Anne raised an eyebrow.

"Act like it is the most normal thing in the world to be there with my wife," Adam said over his coffee. Candy gave him a grin. "Well, we can try."

"Is there even still going to be a party?" Anne asked Candy.

"Oh yes, ma'am, Mr. Cartwright has made it clear. He went around to several of his old friends and told them what happened. They said they would come. Mr. McClain went to his friends and explained it too. So far, no one has cancelled."

"No one?" Adam asked carefully. "This should be interesting," Adam said using his favorite phrase that meant things would go wrong spectacularly. He was usually right.

While they were sitting there, James Nye, the Territorial Governor, came in. Right away, he spotted Adam and came over to say hello. Seeing that he was there with a woman, Nye knew who she had to be. He was curious. Everyone was curious.

"Mr. Governor, may I present my wife, Anne Cartwright?"

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am."

He took her hand, with a twinkle in his eye. Assessing her, he was surprised at who he saw. He expected some hard-bitten world-weary hag. Instead, he saw a charming poised woman of some beauty. She was tall, slender, and confident. Nye was a political appointee from New York City who arrived with all his cronies and camp followers. He also employed Sam Clemens' brother, Orion Clemens as his Secretary. Orion's wife acted as First Lady since Nye's wife would not leave New York. So Nye knew quite a bit about the story.

"Won't you join us, sir?" She asked in pleasant tones. She knew what he wanted. The man didn't need a second invitation. They sat and ordered drinks. Candy excused himself to the bar, hoping Adam wouldn't throw a scene again.

"I'm looking forward to the party tomorrow night," Nye told Adam. "It is a party not to be missed."

"We are happy for Joe," Adam answered coolly. He knew what was going on. "Carrie McClain is a sweet girl."

"Of course, I know Abe McClain. All the ladies are anxious to go to the most talked about party of the season. Mollie Clemens will be there as First Lady. I hope that won't be a problem. My wife is still in New York."

"No, why should it?" Adam said evenly.

"Well, that's most generous of you, Mr. Cartwright."

"Mrs. Clemens is a delightful lady, sir. Perhaps you will let her know my father has engaged an orchestra from San Francisco for the party."

"Oh he is going all out. It sounds wonderful. Well, I look forward to a dance, Mrs. Cartwright."

"Of course, Governor, what kind so I can pencil you on my dance card?"

"How about a waltz?"

"That would be lovely. Shall we say the third one? The first is for my husband, the second for my father-in-law."

"Excellent," he chuckled. "I take it the story in the newspaper was in error?"

"You could say."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad to see you are here, ma'am."

"Thank you, sir."

Nye got up to take his leave, "Until tomorrow night, ma'am, Mr. Cartwright," he indicated Adam should walk him to the door. "I don't like being blindsided. What is the story in a nutshell?"

"We thought we divorced a long time ago. Recently, she discovered there was a legal error. She came to straighten it out. We reconciled instead. This week, we went for a second honeymoon."

"Good man," Nye slapped him on the back. Then he went to glad hand some others at the bar.

"We should start back, soon," Adam said upon returning.

"He didn't like the answer?"

"He liked it. He didn't want to come to the party blind. I don't blame him."

"Sure, let's go."

There was only one problem with going back to the Ponderosa. Uncle Gunnar was there. Uncle Gunnar was Ben's brother-in-law and Hoss' uncle by his sister Inger. The truth was: Gunnar was a scoundrel. In his youth, he tried to sell the family store right out from under his sister Inger, Hoss' mother. As a result, Ben and Inger set off across the prairie in a covered wagon where Hoss was born. In all those years since, no one heard from Gunnar until the week before Joe's engagement party. Unbidden, he rode onto the Ponderosa to find Hoss fishing. Realizing it had to be his nephew, Gunnar provoked Hoss into a tussle. Once Hoss learned Gunnar's identity, he immediately brought the old rogue home. It was quite a homecoming.

There was just one more problem. Gunnar was a Commanchero. Commancheros sold guns to the Commanche hence their names. In doing so, they futhered the conflict between the white settlers and the Indians. In between, they robbed and raided for themselves. Gunnar was a wild man in his youth and now led a bunch of wild men who were completely amoral if not immoral. Nevertheless, he hid it first from Ben and his family. Unfortunately, the Ponderosa was quite a prize in the eyes of his men. Seeing the wealth, they demanded that Gunnar find a way to get it for them or they would do it without him. Gunnar was in no hurry to oblige them. So they took matters into their own hands.

While Joe and Carrie rode back to her uncle's ranch to get her things for the stay at the Ponderosa for the engagement party, the Commancheros accosted the pair killing the men at the ranch.

"What do we have here," Vaca exclaimed at the sight of pretty Carrie. "We have sport!" He laughed a menacing laugh. The others laughed to at the prospect of what they were going to do to Carrie.

"You can't be serious, Uncle Gunnar."

"Oh so this is one of your …FAMILY… " Vaca taunted Gunnar. Vaca wanted to take control from the old man. He was itching for a reason to show that Gunnar was weak. Gunnar knew he could not be weak at that moment. So Vaca taunted Joe.

"Are you tied with apron strings to family, Gunnar? Are you weak in your old age?" One of the troop demanded.

"What do I care who you are?" Gunnar laughed. "My business is done here. I don't care about family. You may take them, do what you will. It is no concern of mine."

"You aren't MY uncle. When Hoss finds out, he'll kill you uncle or no uncle," Joe said defiantly. For that he got a hard beating. The gang caught Carrie and quickly tied her, throwing her over one of the horses to lead both Joe and Carrie off to their camp for the night.

"Where's Joe and Carrie, Pa?" Hoss asked at sundown. "They can't be taking this long to get here."

"Oh, when a woman has to decide what to wear and what to bring, it can take hours, Hoss," Ben assured him. "They probably ate supper with Abe before leaving.

"I don't like it, Pa. Those reports of Commancheros in the area have me strung tighter than a hoist on a crane."

"See, someone is coming," Ben indicated with his pipe in his hand. Candy, Adam, and Anne rode in as dusk settled. Hoss and Ben rose to greet them and help Anne down from her horse.

"Adam, you missed him. You done missed Uncle Gunnar."

"Uncle Gunnar?" Adam was perplexed.

"My Uncle Gunnar just spent a couple of days with us. You know my Ma's brother!" Hoss exclaimed with the news. "Anne, you should have seen him. We asked him to stay but he said he had business and went this morning. I wished he had met you."

"Well, maybe he will come back another time." Anne said non-interested. "It sounds like you had plenty of commotion even without me."

"Oh that we did," Ben said happy to see she was back with Adam. Candy took the horses to take care of them. "I'm glad to see you are back, Anne."

"Yes, Pa, we're back." Adam smirked his smug smile.

"Is this for a longer visit?"

"No visit, Pa. Anne agreed to stay permanently." Adam puffed. "She couldn't resist me," he hugged her. She gave him a cockeyed smile. Adam took her hand to show them she was wearing the rings.

"Hey hey, that is good news!" Ben chuckled. "Good Golly, we are going to be bachelors no longer around here. Hoss, you are next!"

"Dad burn it, Pa, I'll pick my own when I am ready, thank you."

"I don't know, Hoss. You are taking a mighty long time about it." Ben teased him. "I seem to remember Bessie Sue Hightower is sweet on you."

Hoss' face scrunched up in horror. He swallowed hard. "Ain't no call to be mean, Pa. I'll find someone, but it won't be Bessie Sue."

"Now Hoss, she'll be at the party tomorrow. And I do recall her saying something about skinning you alive with a dull knife if you don't dance with her…and no one but her," Adam teased him. The look on Hoss' face expressed his deepest fear that big tall strong Bessie Sue could and would keep her promise. "I think she's kind of sweet really," Adam said with an evil grin. "But then, I'm married. Oh well…" He led Anne into the house leaving Hoss to consider which way to run and how fast to get how far as soon as possible.

"I didn't know you had a sweetheart, Cousin Hoss," Muley said in some hurt. "How come none of y'all tell me these things? It ain't as if I ain't kin or nothin'." He walked dejectedly back to the barn to make the dogs stop baying. Old Sheba was trumpeting her upset with the ceaseless barking. Out of the barn came the dogs. Muley chased a couple behind the house. Hoss grabbed one and lunged for another. They were making a beeline for the house. Hoss looked at the barn, then at the house, then in the general direction of Bessie Sue's, and chose the house, knowing he had better get the dogs out of the house fast; but a commotion in the yard behind him, stopped him as a smaller dog ran past him. He reached down to pick it up.

"There's them tracks. I knowed it!" **BOOM!** A shotgun blast went off. "Hoss Cartwright!" A shrill voice shouted from behind the large man. He winced. "Turn around real slow like or I'll fill your britches enough rock salt you won't sit down for a month of Sundays!"

"Uh Tracy, just don't get too excited with that there shot gun of yourn." Hoss said to her from a head down position looking back at her between his legs. She had his behind dead to rights at close range. Everyone knew about Tracy Ledbetter and her love for her shot gun not that she had all that much control over it.

"If'n I ain't seed it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it, Hoss Cartwright," she said forlornly. "You been thieving my bird dogs."

"Honest Tracy, I ain't been thieving no bird dogs. These here dogs belong to my cousin Muley."

"I ain't seen no Muley, cousin or otherwise. I do see you holding two of my dogs!"

Running out of the house, Ben, Adam, and Anne saw the position Hoss was in, butt up and head down with a big shot gun pointed at his butt by a little blonde haired woman in pigtails under a hat with a brim wider than she was. Adam rubbed his eyes, thinking it was always something with that brother of his. Ben gulped seeing how angry Tracy was and how she had such a good shot.

"Now, Tracy, you don't want to be hasty," Ben said to calm the distraught young woman. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I caught Hoss, YOUR son, red handed with my bird dogs. Where's the rest of them?"

"Are, are you sure these are you dogs?"

"I am for a fact. A passing tall stranger made off with him. I didn't get no good look at him, but I saw him thieve my dogs. I spent six months training them from puppies to be bird dogs. And come to find out, Hoss was that passing tall stranger. It is a shameful day, yes sir it is when Hoss Cartwright would thieve my bird dogs." She took aim. "I'll learn you to thieve my dogs!"

"NO! NO, Tracy, put the gun down," Ben implored her. "Well give you back your dogs. Honest, we don't want what ain't…er…isn't ours." He started to move, but she cocked the rifle.

"One more step and I'll finish learning him some manners. Where is my other dogs!"

"Tracy, they are in the house."

"The _HOUSE?_ What you keeping bird dogs in the house fer? You ain't doing something strange with them are you?" She swiveled the gun at Ben. He put his hands up as did Anne and Adam. "I want my dogs! You didn't harm them did you?"

"No of course, not Tracy," Ben assured her. "And you shall have them." Hoss was still bent over with the blood rushing to his head. "We took real good care of your dogs, Tracy. Why they even slept in bed with us. Isn't that right, boys?"

"Oh yeah, yeah, Tracy," Hoss lamented upside down. "We took extra special care of them. "We fed them and taught them how to catch coyotes."

**"COYOTES? YOU RUINED MY BIRD DOGS! HERE I SPENT ALL THAT TIME TEACHING THEM TO FIND BIRDS, **and now I come to find out you ruined them!" She hefted the rifle about to unload on Hoss' backside. "Of all the gol'durn stupid things to do with bird dogs!"

At that moment, her father rounded the corner of the barn, breathless. Tracy's father was a wizened old coot with a salt and pepper scraggly beard and a porkpie hat, missing a few chunks. Seeing her aiming at Hoss, he tried to grab the gun from her. The shot went wild. In a flash she had reloaded both barrels. Anne screamed. Adam interposed himself between her and the shotgun.

"Pa what you done that fer? I found the thieving passing tall stranger and it's Hoss Cartwright!"

"Aw Tracy, just forget about the dogs and come home. I'm hungry and you ain't cooked fer me once since you started training them dogs."

"Cook fer yourself, old man, I got business to settle with the Cartwrights. They done ruined my dogs. Where are my dogs, Mr. Cartwright? I don't seen them and I want them now."

"Right away, Tracy, just don't do anything rash," Ben promised her. "Adam go get the dogs."

"Sure, Pa," Adam said pushing Anne back into the house and closing the door. They went scurrying to find the dogs in the house. All of a sudden they heard a shot fired. **BOOM!** And a yelp in Chinese with some indignant invective.

"Hop Sing find dog. You no got reason to shoot Hop Sing. Missy is crazy!" He unleashed as string of Chinese cursing at her.

"You put my dog down this instant. You were going to eat him." She aimed at the cleaver Hop Sing held in his other hand.

"I found dog eating Mr. Cartwright's steak. You take dog. He no belong in kitchen." He released the little dog to Ben and huffed back in the kitchen. The dog took off back into the house.

"Aw Tracy, girl, if'n the dogs is ruined, what you want them fer?" Her father demanded. "If'n they ain't bird dogs no more, you can come home and cook me dinner." He looked so hopeful thinking his logic would get him what he really wanted…dinner. Instead she swung around at him, with the loaded end of the barrel pointing at him square in the chest. He gasped and hopped backwards. "Of course, if'n you don't feel like it, we can do it later." He backed up some more. Hoss took the opportunity to stand up. Tracy swung the gun back towards him. He offered her the two dogs in his big hands, holding them by the scruffs of their necks.

"That ain't no way to treat bird dogs! Only they's coyote dogs. What am I supposed to do with dang coyote dogs?" She leveled the gun at him.

"Tracy, ma'am, if you'll just listen," Hoss pleaded. "The Cattleman's Association is offering 2 whole dollars for every coyote caught. We been training them to catch coyotes. They done caught two already!"

"Then you owe me 4 dollars for them coyotes you caught with MY dogs!"

Hoss swallowed hard. "Ma'am, Miss Tracy, I ain't got the 4 dollars." She cocked the barrel. "I told you my cousin Muley owns …thought …said… oh dad burn it, Muley got 2 dollars but I'll give you my 2 dollars."

"FOUR!" She took aim "And I want it now and I want them dogs too."

From behind the house, Muley arrived with two dogs in his arms. He saw someone pointing a shotgun square at his cousin Hoss. Without thinking he released the dogs and grabbed the shot gun.

**BLAM!"**

It went off surprising Tracy and making Anne scream from doorway as she exited, carrying out a dog. She dropped the dog and it ran back inside. Adam reached out from behind her to yank her back in the door. She was still screaming when Tracy looked up that tall drink of water named Muley Jones. She sure liked what she saw. He liked what he saw.

"Ma'am, a lady shouldn't be having to carry no shot gun, ma'am." He said it so kindly that she let him have it still staring up at his face.

"The passing tall stranger!" Tracy said in wonderment.

"Ma'am? I don't think we met. I'm Hoss' cousin Muley, Muley Jones, ma'am. Well, lookey here," He grabbed up her father's hand to practically shake it off. "Is you back from Caly-forn-aye-ay so soon?" The old man tried to look confused.

"What's he talking about?" Tracy demanded. "You ain't never been to Calyforn-knee-uh."

"Sure he has," Muley assured her excitedly, but slowed down looking at her. "I sold him my gold claim for a pack of bird dogs. They's worth 50 dollars! Only now, they's coyote hunting dogs 'cuz the Cattleman's Association has a terrible problem with coyotes getting the calves hereabouts…." He stared looking into her eyes as she gazed back up into his.

"Then you ain't stole my bird dogs, Hoss." She realized what happened. "Old Man you done thieved my dogs and sold them without my permission! What's the matter with you?"

"You ain't cooked for me once since you got them dogs. I am hungry!" He stomped his foot. "Anyway, 'sides, I got a genuine gold claim fer them and 50 dollars!"

"Ain't your 50 dollars no how," She held out her hand. He slowly reached in his pocket and gave her the money. "And you owe me 4 dollars Hoss!"

"Yes,'m, I 'spect we do. Muley, give her your 2 dollars."

"But Cousin Hoss!"

"Muley, just give her the money, they's her dogs."

"But we trained them."

"Well, seeing as how you did so much hard work," Tracy said to Muley looking up at him with a big dopey smile plastered on her face, "maybe we can work out a deal."

"Step into my office, ma'am," he indicated the barn. She stared up at him all the way inside, when Old Sheba trumpeted with a dog running around her feet.

That night as Anne sat watch over a wounded Joe, she wrote her father a letter to vent her frustrations. The worst had happened, she thought as Joe lay wounded by Gunnar's Commancheros. The wild west was ferocious. It scared her so much she put pen to paper and wrote to him in Boston of the horrible proceedings right on the ranch.

_My Dearest Papa,_

I must send my grateful thanks for the wire transfer of money of the 10,000, which you were extremely generous to provide your ungrateful daughter, considering my recent lapses of judgment. For it must be your sweet sentiments of parental love that you do still provide for your prodigal offspring, who has degraded herself with wretched severities, and then did vex you with my sullen arrogance and impossible ideals. Whence I did come into this world surely you never imagined that you would need a wondrous constancy to old attachments; even permitting me to keep a hold on your affections unalterably for I have plenty of wickedness to reprove. Alas, I have no peer for such an infernal disposition that no one decent would call upon us of late. It is my sincerest wish that all be well again with you, though the absence of your gentle countenance is a sore trial to me, but much deserved, I fear.

My journey is proving most remarkable, filled with unexpected revelations. Here in Virginia City, a boisterous boomtown that is true to all the accounts of the Washoe Excitement claimed in our press. The roughness of the frontier is a challenge and a formidable sojourn in difficulties most omnipresent. Adam has surprised me for it is a fact that he's not like I remembered him. All my memories of his controlling nature, his compulsiveness, and his arrogance do elude me in his presence and while his natural attributes and well-mannered countenance instead commends him to me. My shock is finding a gentleman instead of the lout I had execrated from my soul so deeply for a decade. In fact, he has not changed in his heart although he wears his 'improvements' well for all the world to see. As a result, events have taken a serious turn towards reconciliation to my terror for I have a weak woman's hopes and an intelligent being's eyes. However well as we have been together, certain facts and circumstances have come to my attention of so great an import that I have been frightened witless of recent events.

It's been nearly four weeks out of the six weeks I need to domicile here before I can petition the courts for a final decree of divorce. While sojourning with the Cartwrights at the Ponderosa, their great estate, my pride really became impossible so that in my distress at residing with Adam and his gracious father, who has been nothing if not kind; I did retreat to another village to attempt to dissuade him from his purpose that being to reunite in marital bliss. Surely one would think I have been chastened into more humility and would have appreciated the offer given with seeming generosity of spirit. Nay but I could not bring myself to remain among them fearing something more to be amiss. I abruptly departed for lodgings more consistent with my purpose since I did not want, finally, to confess, and to confide in him my troubles, preferring to complete my legal humiliations and be about my business.

I discovered that my dissembling was all for naught. I assumed they were but frontier primitives and believed my troubles far behind me in Boston from whence they could not ascertain my true circumstances. Although the Cartwrights can be generous and kind in the extreme, the Old Man is devious and powerful to a degree not known to man heretofore. I think Machiavelli had him in mind when he penned 'The Prince.' Still, you would like him well as he has a great dignity and presence, appearing to have humble and courtly charm and manners. He is also as shrewd a silver fox as they come; as he would have to be to have carved out this vital and enormous empire from the wilderness. This estate is as big as Rhode Island; nor am I exaggerating to the least, knowing now that it is over 1000 square miles upon which they run over 10,000 head of cattle with limitless vistas of timber that defy description. All the stories Adam told us about his home did not do justice to the holding and was in fact an humble offering to us of modest accounts so beneath the truth that had he told us accurately of the size and importance we might have declared him a scoundrel and a liar, trying to inflate his family's position. Au contraire, mon pere, my father-in-law is as rich and powerful as any among the crowned heads of Europe, perhaps even more so since he dictates to one and all with such diplomacy as to shield his bludgeon from view. Never fear, it is there and all the peasants know it here. Had I known before I began this benighted journey, I should never have attempted to rectify the problem.

It is a fact that these Cartwrights are a force of nature in this isolated wild land, possessing a power so great, that everyone from the Governor down listens carefully when Ben Cartwright or any Cartwright speaks. I met the Governor today, when we stopped to have luncheon in Carson City on our way home; yes I used the term 'home' for I am the wife of the scion of the Ponderosa and he makes no attempt to conceal it despite the scandal of the situation, his having being apart from a wife for ten years. Exaggeration of such respect could not compare to what I witnessed in the Carson City hotel this day to impart to me the great importance of the family which I would deny and from which I would seek refuge. The instant the Governor spied Adam he excused himself from his cronies and sycophants to make his way through the throng and greet Adam deferentially, making certain all the world knew he was paying court to a Cartwright. I have never seen a New York politician cower, much less a Tammany Hall denizen be afraid of anyone; yet there was real fear in that man's eyes; and well he should since his right hand man's brother wrote a scurrilous attack on Adam in the Territorial Enterprise, the local newspaper read by one and all in these parts; at least by all who can read or have it read to them.

And yet, my perplexities and untold troubles against which I did strive to hide from my husband's mockery are unfurled. Adam and his father discovered them; although to my great relief and surprise, he was only mildly amused, not being at all offended and did not treat my sentiments with indifference. I rather think his unerring desire to reunite has made his attempts at civility such that he could not be more gracious however unartful my nature and at a loss for coquetry. I had not given him reason for encouragement rather explaining succinctly and directly, as is my low manner, to reprove him for his departure from me in such circumstances as to be nothing less than abandonment. Nevertheless, he did receive my feelings with deep humility, further causing me to believe myself with an entirely different gentleman and not the willful scornful cretin I did laughingly refer to as my late great husband. He would have me believe that life in the Wild West is such a ferocious experience that they all had run-ins with the law from time to time for much worse than I ever did and are yet the most respected gentlemen of an entire Territory and beyond.

My confoundedness all came to boil when I repaired to another small village, called Genoa. To evade the attentions of my husband, I departed abruptly from the Ponderosa to find lodgings elsewhere as you have advised me to do. I arrived late at night only to find the rooms in the hotel unavailable as they had all been let to an unnamed and absent band of travelers, who had prepaid against their unspecified arrival not wishing to chance a dearth of accommodations. As it was late, I nearly became as the Babe of Bethlehem about to seek shelter in the livery stable, had not a newspaperman, who was dining in the establishment, prevailed upon the manager of the fully let and completely unoccupied hotel to allow me to use an vacant room for the night. The hour was so far advanced that the manager gave me the suite but not before two of the Old Man's drunken ranch hands wandered into the establishment and greeted me. They disclosed to the manager and to Sam Clemens, the newspaperman that I am Mrs. Adam Cartwright, who was not supposed to be there. In fact, they were there to prevent me from finding accommodations, as the Old Man sent them to engage all the available hotel space in the village and did the same all over the Territory in anticipation of and against my departure. The men were so drunk the story came out in a hurly burly of errors, shocking and humorous at the same time. It was then I began to discover how very much Benjamin Cartwright, my father-in-law, wants me to remain under his roof and in his firm yet tender mercies.

All this history of my perambulation brings me to the story of how the Governor of the Nevada Territory came to apologize to Adam Cartwright for the slander to his good name. Sam Clemens is the brother of the Governor's Secretary Orion Clemens. In an editorial, this newspaper man did obfuscate the truth and distorted the facts and circumstances surrounding our legal problem and promptly published a thinly disguised rant on the subject of how a certain leading citizen was secretly married for a decade, while running around as if he weren't. The editorial piece was a work of the most low-born miscreant ever to pick up the pen. Upon reading it, Adam promptly determined not to suffer such insolence within his own domain and so forcefully rearranged the man's understanding of how the world works, at least in the Nevada Territory when a Cartwright is involved!

Papa, you may be wondering why I went back to the Ponderosa when I am so determined to shed the succor so wholeheartedly offered and which any woman in my solitary position would crave. The answer is that I didn't have a choice once Adam came to me in Genoa, residing there for some days to ask me to reconsider divorcing him. He vociferously pled his case in earnest to start over and make something of our alliance. At first, I took it for some ploy whereby he could finesse some sort of outcome I didn't understand. Since I am not asking for anything and am bearing the financial burden of the exercise, the nature of the ploy eluded me. Then I thought perhaps it was a man's self-respect that wouldn't allow him to accede to my new request for a divorce. In the most tender terms, Adam explained that he had always regretted what happened and never knew what to do to put it right, saying his great misery in this world had been in living for himself. As the ardent suitor, he claimed that if all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be his great and only love. No doubt his love is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, for I am well aware it will change as winter changes the trees. His love for me resembles the eternal silver rocks beneath this land: a source of little visible delight, hard to find and even more difficult to bear. Bear them I did in Genoa for I had nowhere to turn since all the world in these parts does fawn and kowtow to the Cartwrights, Adam being the scion of the wealthiest and most powerful man for hundreds of miles in all directions.

Not trusting my husband and his motives, later, I resolved to discover this sudden and dramatic change of heart. To that end, I discovered ten years ago, the Old Man was furious beyond reason at Adam, when he arrived home without his wife. The middle brother, Hoss, told me all about it. The middle one is no dissembler being too simple to deceive on such a subject. Adam never did fully explain about Hoss who is a mountain of a man with the gentlest ways about animals yet fearsome in his wrath to anyone who would bring harm to his family. He's also somewhat careful at expressing his thoughts; so it would be possible to believe him a slow thinker. However, the careful listener will comprehend the power of his perceptions which are remarkable in one so seemingly unsophisticated. It would be a mistake to underestimate that man for he is incredibly wise and so completely unassuming that one who was quick to judge would miss it being quite a contrast to Adam, the educated one and the intellectual of the family. Really, the true intellectual is Hoss for he has an open mind on almost any subject. Had I the opportunity to know him, better would I have been for the privilege. Instead, I married a man so conceited in his form and manner that he is certain no one can withstand his considerable charm.

Papa, it's a mess for I have ruined for you your life's work and now my fresh start in anonymity. You are the dearest father, a man of such tender sensibilities that you have sustained me through a privileged childhood and do continue steadfast toward this ungrateful wretch of a daughter through my troubles and turmoil. One would think my troubles over now that I am welcomed by a great family that doesn't care about any of it. They made inquiries by telegraph of associates back in Boston. Their inquiries satisfied their concerns giving them a fine appreciation of my situation, only wanting to know I wasn't running from a murder charge or some man. They also managed to confirm that I am in fact not divorced from Adam. Never have I met people so desperate to have a woman in their company that they would accept my disgrace with such indifference to the scandal.

I would be more disturbed by that desperation than by anything else had I not discovered the Old Man's plot to keep me at hand; signifying he will not yield what he believes belongs to his family, namely me. Most women would rejoice at the unbridled welcome and hearty desire to reconcile, as I am being offered the sun, the moon, and the stars. The offer also includes the treacherous nature of life in these parts. These people live in the very circumstances I feared ten years ago and had such trepidation to join. I tell you I am here with a family of unrestrained frontier wild men, who live at the barrel end of gun nearly every day. Today was no exception. Commancheros invaded the property and took the youngest brother, Joseph and his new fiancé prisoner; raped the sixteen year old girl; and shot Joe after thrashing him to a pulp not a mile from the house, all whilst 200 unaware cowhands on the property went about business as usual. So it isn't as though four men and a cook live alone in the State of Rhode Island. They are well guarded and have many servants and employees; yet, the young prince was abused nearly within eyesight of the king. He's young and strong but I've seen this get worse before it gets better, being so dreadfully wounded in mind and body. His fiancé was used terribly right on the property and in front of the young man's eyes, a sight he is not likely to forget and will no doubt cause the end of the engagement. The middle brother is a bloody mess having fought like a lion in defense of Joe and his fiancé, against a marauding horde. Adam is exhausted having ridden into the fight after a long day on horseback guiding his reluctant wife back to the ranch over 25 miles of the rough desert. Tonight, the Old Man looks like the rock of Sisyphus just rolled over him. So that's the sorry state of affairs despite all that wealth and power.

Papa, I'm stuck out here because there is no way to hide or retreat from the Cartwrights anywhere in the Territory. Adam, the heir apparent, wants his wife back because he is still trying to control everyone and everything, inheriting his controlling tendencies honestly from his father. This is Nevada Territory and contrary to popular opinion, it is not in the United States of America; but is in fact, the private property of the Cartwrights; lock, stock, and barrel. Not a court anywhere in the Territory is ever going to hear this case. To wit, I overheard a conversation in front of the Genoa Courthouse about how Old Man Cartwright filled the docket for the next two circuits with bogus lawsuits. No one can get a case on the calendar for the next six months. Therefore, my divorce hearing hasn't a hope or a prayer of being heard before spring, if then, no matter I will have settled the issue of my domicile.

Now you might think it possible to take the Overland Stagecoach back to California and file there as any reasonable adult might attempt. No, the Old Man's reach is profound and complete, supported by his pocket book, which is inexhaustible. No stagecoach ticket is available out of here for the next two months. My father-in-law purchased every available ticket for the next two months going anywhere within the entire Nevada Territory! Today, I overheard the ranch foreman telling two of the hands that they forgot to buy up the passenger space out of Genoa and reamed them out for their sloppy work, then dispatched them to complete their task. I also learned that my father-in-law has spoken privately to his associates to make certain that no case of mine will ever find space on the California dockets for the next couple of years. How did I discover this perfidious plot? After hearing about the legal maneuvering in the Nevada Courts, using my maiden name, I engaged the two lawyers I encountered in front of the Genoa Courthouse on the pretext of wanting to inquire how I could sue someone. From them, I heard all about the business dealings of Mr. Benjamin Cartwright and how he is consuming the legal resources of the entire Territory for months. I hired one of them to inquire as to the likelihood of having the case filed in Federal or State Court in California since the matter crossed borders. Upon making such inquiries, the lawyer discovered that I am Mrs. Adam Cartwright and promptly returned his fee to me saying he didn't dare accept me as a client without Adam's approval. Papa, every single lawyer in the Territory works for Benjamin Cartwright, so representing me is a clear conflict of interest. Benjamin Cartwright doesn't miss a trick. What's more, he is so powerful, even Tammany Hall is afraid of him from clear across the country, judging by the fear in the eyes of the Governor who was formerly the head of New York City police and hardly a timid soul. The absolute truth is: if Ben Cartwright sneezes, everyone in Nevada all the way to San Francisco gets pneumonia.

Why is he doing this? I can make all sorts of guesses, but what I have pieced together is he is profoundly religious on the subject of divorce. He was enraged that Adam divorced me ten years ago and is still madder than a wet hen at Adam now that I showed up still married to his heir apparent. Wanting grandchildren, he is bound and determined to rectify the situation, thinking if he puts us together, then nature will take its course. It almost did. Had I not discovered this plot to impede my freedom, I might have let the idea cross my mind, since Adam is still as handsome and charming as ever when he wants to be. He is powerfully motivated to reacquire his own wife both because of his pride and an angry father, who might have threatened to disown him; a fate worse than death since the Cartwrights are worth millions. The eldest son is about to lose that kind of money so necessarily, he is the veritable image of a romantic protagonist in any dime novel serial attempting to sweep the heroine off her feet. Papa, when I think on it now, I am sickened by the position I find myself in. I came here honestly to rectify a mistake. Now because his father got religion and desires a broodmare, I am fettered to a man I thought I had shed ten years ago and who most desperately courts me to preserve his position. Frankly, I am going to get out of here by any means even if it entails walking out of here on foot to cross back to California and then get myself on a ship bound for any port as far from the Cartwright power as possible. The next letter you get might be from Hong Kong.

I've made another mess. So what's new, right?

Your loving daughter,

Anne

Having ridden hard all day and sat up half the night, Anne fell asleep at the desk in Joe's bedroom. Hoss awoke in the wee hours to spell Anne from the duty. He saw she was asleep on the desk and went to wake her to send her to bed. The letter caught his eye. After reading it, he was terribly upset that she would think such hard thoughts about them and yet he understood her anger at his father. Here was a very smart woman who did not appreciate being manipulated. It also confirmed to him that she really did come honestly to rectify a mistake not seize a financial windfall. Of course, Hoss didn't think of it quite so cogently. He felt her distress at being deceived when her intentions were good. Surely, every perception was colored by that revelation of his father's deceit. Hoss resolved to speak to her about it when she wasn't so tired and they were in private.


	5. Chapter 5: The Morning After

**Chapter 5: The Morning After**

Adam awoke to the regular sounds of the ranch coming to life. The ranch hands were already moving around to feed the animals. He could smell breakfast cooking down below. He rolled over and realized he was terribly sore. Then he remembered yesterday's ordeal. He groaned. Today was Joe's engagement party. There was work to do because of all the arriving houseguests coming from hundreds of miles away for a fortnight of festivities. No one had any way to tell them to turn back. Adam swung out of bed to start his morning's dressing rituals and realized Anne was sleeping curled up next to him. He rolled back into bed to throw an arm over her and pull in her soft warm form. He felt thankful one thing in this whole mess was turning out right. His wife came through in the crisis, nursing Joe and tending him most of the night. Now that was what family did for each other. Family… Gunnar was no kin of his. The thought made him angry all over again. Adam was ready to chuck the body down an abandoned mine shaft, not bury him in the family plot.

Nuzzling her neck, Adam half hoped she would wake up for some morning love making. He knew she was tired. Still, he needed some comfort after yesterday too. Thinking on it with his wife in his arms, he knew he had to get on with the day and at the same time had no desire to get out of bed. While he warred with himself over getting up, Anne's eyes flew open to all the attentions Adam was giving her. Her eyes narrowed knowing what he wanted and not in the least inclined to permit him. She kicked herself for not using the guest room and reminded herself that would have been too much work for Hop Sing today to have to change the sheets for the guests considering all of his other duties. The guest rooms were immaculately ready. She was not.

"Get off of me." She said with a hard edge. Adam blinked, but released her in surprise.

"Anne?"

"No."

Adam sighed. Not wanting a confrontation, he got out of bed and started dressing. He became aware that she was watching him. Turning toward her while he buttoned his shirt, he considered her expression of detached cold indifference. She was assessing him the same way he looked over a horse he might buy.

"See anything you like," he joked hoping to jolly her.

"No."

"Ah," he turned to fix his black string tie. "Want to string me up with this?" He meant the tie. She didn't answer. "Can we talk about this after breakfast?"

She rolled over away from him. He knew what that meant. He may have lived like a bachelor but he did know what waking up like this was all about. If it had been his usual saloon girl, he would have tipped his hat and ridden off whistling. This wasn't a saloon girl but the downside to marriage. He couldn't even ride fence to shrug it off. Today, he had to be around the house to greet guests. And he had to plant Gunnar before they arrived. He sat down on the bed next to her, looking down at her silently staring at the window. The drapes were drawn so she only saw the light filtering through, but her eyes had a glassy far away look.

"What are you remembering?" He asked softly.

"Patagonia."

"What about it?"

"It was so empty and so beautiful. Dry like desert on the east side. On the west, the mountains came right down to the sea, covered in dense foliage. Waterfalls tumbled down from high granite cliffs and sometimes right into the ocean. It was desolate, peaceful, and serene. One of the other passengers played his flute as we cruised through the fjords. I was remembering the haunting melody he played as we passed island after inlet after bay."

"I saw it too… on the way home from Boston."

"Boston is home, Adam." Her eyes misted up. "I don't belong here. Let me go."

He stroked her hair. "Homesick?" She nodded. "The world isn't right today is it?" She nodded. "Ah, well, home is where the heart is; they say." He saw her frown. "They say that." He took her hand, which she left limp. "We can't erase ten years. We can make the next ten what we want."

"Can we?" She pulled her hand away. "Joe and Carrie can't for the same reason I never wanted to come here. That could have been me ten years ago." She rolled on her back away from him. "It still could."

"It could happen anywhere, even in Boston. The only difference is that you were familiar with Boston, where to go and what to avoid." For an answer she shrugged. "You are a brave woman. You'll adjust if you want."

"Do I want?"

"Don't you?"

"I just don't see it."

"Give it time."

"I have, Adam. I've given it four weeks."

"Give it four years." She snorted. "No, really, I stayed in Boston for six years. I'm asking for four."

"You have no right to ask for anything."

"No, but I'm asking."

"Are you? Are you indeed? Seems to me I'm a prisoner here."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know Adam. I know about the phony court cases filling the docket. I know about the hotels, the stagecoach tickets… all of it. I found out."

"You must have known when I gave you the rings in Genoa."

"Yes."

"So?"

"So, maybe it was a moment, that's all."

Adam gently lifted her up to him and held her in both hands by the shoulders. "That was Pa. I can't say I told him to stop when I found out. I hoped I could persuade you reasonably. Anne, I want you to stay."

"Why, so you can inherit? What will 'Pa' do to you if I leave, disinherit you?"

"No, nothing like that," Adam said firmly. "Pa is not like that. I mean it." He let her search his face. Softening towards her, he knew they both had a big shock. "We should try again, Anne."

"It's that simple for you."

"No and yes," he sighed and met her gaze. "I know this is right. I know it." He let her go. "This is the right thing and you know it too or you wouldn't be here."

"I can't be anywhere else thanks to your father."

"I mean you came here. You could have filed citing abandonment in Boston courts."

"That was never explained to me until Whitley Parker told me in Virginia City. I don't know why." She scooted up bolstering herself with the pillows. "I keep wondering why. Why would my father's lawyers not tell me that?" She folded her arms across her chest. "I feel so manipulated by every man I have ever met. I won't tolerate it from you, least of all you."

Hop Sing rang the bell for breakfast. Adam involuntarily reacted. She narrowed her eyes. He wanted to eat and knew if he didn't finish this, life was going to get very difficult fast.

"Everything I said to you was sincere. I can't add anything more." He met her angry gaze. "Stay."

"I'll think on it. In the meantime, you deal with your father. If I want out, I mean to go."

"Understood." He stood up. "Let's go eat. It's going to be a long day."

"I just went to bed."

"Have something to eat and then go back to sleep. You'll feel better."

"I'm going in my robe."

He nodded. It was the best outcome for the moment. He watched her get up, admiring her as she threw on a robe and brushed her hair but couldn't reach it all. So she tossed him the brush to get the back. He wanted to play with it and resisted the urge. It would just set her off. So he gave it a few quick strokes and ushered her out. Ben and Hoss stood up to greet her. Hoss stared at the long hair, loose around her shoulders. Normally, she had it up as most women did. Hoss found women magical and incomprehensible. From the letter he would have thought she would be angry with Adam but she let him pull out her chair and smiled up at him. She was pleasant all through breakfast to everyone. Hoss decided she was the epitome of a lady if she could be that angry and still give no indication. Hoss smiled his bashful pure pleasure smile at her delicately eating her tiny breakfast, then excusing herself to sleep a little more. Hoss stood up when she left the table.

"She's tired," Adam commented dryly. "What time did you go in to spell her?"

"I got there about 4 A.M. She was asleep on Joe's desk." Hoss' face said he was upset about something. He gave Adam a hard stare. He couldn't look at Ben. Both of them noticed.

"Poor thing, after riding so far to have to sit up all night," Ben commented. "I should have gotten up to sit but I slept right through."

"So did I," Adam answered back. "So what are we going to do with Gunnar?"

"We bury him. That's what we do," Ben grumbled. "Then I never want to hear his name again." Snorts of agreement passed for words. Candy came in to tell them everything was ready at the plot.

"Have a cup of coffee," Ben offered. "Last night, Carrie broke off the engagement. Abe agrees." They stirred their cups having no words for the matter. "He offered to sell me his ranch because they are going back to Ohio. I told him to sleep on it. Somehow I think he meant it."

"How's Carrie?" Hoss asked more concerned about her. He still couldn't look at Ben but Candy was present. Family matters would have to wait.

"The doctor sedated her. She was out of her head." They all nodded. "I'll tell Joe," Ben added. "So that leaves the guests."

"Yeah."

"She might change her mind," Hoss offered half-heartedly. He knew a girl with her kind of assault would not be thinking clearly for a long while. It made him mad. The others saw it. Hoss had a real dark cloud over his head that morning.

"I already sent the wagons to town for the luggage, Mr. Cartwright," Candy informed him. "Folks will still be coming."

"We have no choice. The party will go on but it won't be an engagement party. It will simply be a house party. Whoever comes will be entertained and that's all we can do." Ben pushed his eggs around his plate. "Don't forget to pick up the musicians from town."

"Are we still going to have dancing, Pa?" Hoss liked to dance; but a family member had just died.

"I suppose so. I hired the musicians. By Golly, I'm not going to mourn Gunnar." He slammed his hand down on the table. "There WILL be dancing. Folks will be here for two weeks; of course there will be dancing." Ben stabbed another flapjack. "Candy, make sure the men get this place decorated and have them pick wild flowers if nothing else."

"Yes sir, Mr. Cartwright," Candy got up and went out to see to things. Ben decided to deal with the look on Hoss' face. He ascribed it to what happened to Carrie and Joe.

"Pa, about Anne," he hesitated. Hoss' eyes narrowed. He looked down at his plate tensing. "She found out about the hotel business. She's going to bolt again."

"Huh," Ben said stabbing another pile of flapjacks. "Fine, it got you two together, so I suppose it is enough."

"And the stagecoach tickets, too," Adam said firmly.

"She know about them?"

"Yes Pa, I don't know how but she does."

"Smart girl you got there," he forked a chunk off the plate.

"Pa, she has enough money to buy a coach and four to go to San Francisco in style without the stagecoach."

"Like I said, it got you two together," he sipped his coffee. "Fine."

"With all due respect, Pa, let me handle her from now on."

"She's your wife." Ben conceded with a glint in his eye. He believed he had done what had to be done to get this outcome. "And she IS your wife now."

"This is private, Pa."

"I want grandchildren."

"Pa…." Hoss stumbled over the words. The other two looked at him. "Pa… I know she's powerful angry." He tried to formulate what he wanted to say. "Adam, I know she's your wife. I don't mean no disrespect."

"Go on," Adam said patiently, knowing how Hoss was about speaking on important subjects.

"She thinks none of us love her. She thinks…." Hoss choked. "Pa, she is afraid deep down inside scared."

"She told me this morning," Adam said softly. Hoss reacted with some surprise. Anne was a real contradiction. If he believed that letter, she was not about to talk to Adam much less sleep in his bed.

"But… well… it's more…." Hoss stared down at his plate. "She thinks we are all up to no good." He raised his eyes at Adam. "She thinks you are faking."

"Did she tell you that?" Ben wanted to know.

"Sort of," Hoss didn't want to disclose the letter. It confused him how she could be so nice to Adam and all of them but be so angry and so scared. "She thinks Adam is doing it for money."

"Money?" Adam and Ben said in unison.

"Yes sir, Pa, money." Hoss sat back playing with his fork. The look on his face said it all. He was upset. They weren't sure at whom.

"What money?" Ben wanted to know.

"Your money, Pa," Hoss answered with feeling. "Thinks he's courting her to make her stay for the money."

"I don't understand," Adam said carefully.

"She thinks the only reason you want her back…." It made him mad to think it. "Is to get Pa's money."

"That's crazy," Ben sputtered. Hoss flipped his hands in a small gesture to say that's the way it was. Ben and Adam exchanged looks. Adam's said he would handle it. Ben sighed. "Have her come talk to me if you want."

"I said I'd handle her. She already asked me about it. I told her no. Now stay out of it. You've done enough… She's MY wife."

"We have a body to bury." Ben got up from the table and dashed his napkin down in disgust. The other two got up to follow.

Upstairs, Anne looked in on Joe, remembering she had left a letter on his desk. It wasn't there. She checked the floor to see if it had fallen inadvertently and could not find it. She checked under the bed. It was gone. She put her hand to her head to try and remember if she took it with her. In her room, she couldn't find it either. Now she was alarmed. A soft knock on her door got her attention. It was Hoss.

"I found this in Joe's room," he handed her the folded letter with a nod. She hesitated and raised her eyes in a question. His bashful reaction answered it. "Anne…." Hoss choked. She shook her head sadly. "Anne, I…" Hoss struggled for the words he thought would come so easily but didn't. It wasn't happening as he had imagined. She didn't fuss. She didn't say anything. "Pa didn't mean no harm. He wants what's best for us." She stood there studying the ground, boiling. "We want you to stay."

"What about what I want?"

"Sometimes," Hoss groped for the words. "Sometimes we need a little push, gentle like. Sometimes… we need a big push." She narrowed her eyes. "Adam, he wants to make it right. He don't know how, ner Pa neither. It don't mean they were bad, just … well… ma'am… more like too much than not enough…. Like last time wasn't enough to make it right." He choked again, playing with his fingers. "No one wanted to hurt you." Hoss stood there waiting for an explosion and didn't get one. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight, letting him stew. "Pa was trying to help you and help Adam." Anne shifted her weight and uncrossed her arms to lean on the door jam. In the short time she knew Hoss, she understood he was not a talker but it was worth listening when he did. "I ain't never seen Pa act like this. Never in all my born days…" Hoss said with feeling. "It's like … well… ma'am… I don't know." He studied his fingers. He choked. He shifted his weight foundering. "Pa done it, Anne, not Adam. I don't know why…well… I do… but not like that… I mean…Pa… he wanted you to stay so bad that he went loco." Hoss became too frustrated.

"I understand what you are saying, Hoss. He went too far trying to fix something." She sighed. "But it's not just that, it's being out here."

"Anne… I … well… when you and me …. We talk friendly like and in the letter…. Anne we aren't like that." Hoss wanted to convey his upset without making her mad. "I hope you won't think unkindly of us like you said."

"Hoss, I have a very high regard for you. I think you read that."

"I thank you for saying so, but I only read the last paragraph. Ma'am, Adam ain't faking." He played with his fingers. "Only, Adam he really is trying hard… hard as he can. He …" Hoss looked down at his shoes. "He is smart, real smart and sometimes smart people don't know they don't know."

"You said that beautifully, Hoss." She touched his arm. "Thank you." She smiled up at him. "You are a very wise man."

"Thank you kindly." Hoss smiled his pleased smile but he was still worried. "Anne, this divorce stuff… I don't understand it. I didn't when Adam came home without you." Hoss looked at his shoes. "We were all very upset."

"And now you think everyone wants to fix it?"

"Yes ma'am, I do for a fact." He struggled how to put it to her. "We were taught in church that it is a bad thing. Maybe God didn't want you two to be divorced so that's how come you aren't."

"It's been ten years, Hoss." She said to answer him kindly without getting too personal. "God had plenty of time."

"I been praying all night what to tell you." She touched his arm. He choked. After she gave him a little squeeze on the arm, he continued. "I know Pa and Adam want to put it right." Hoss looked at her with sad eyes. "Don't you want to put it right, too?"

"I'm not sure what is right." She said to prevaricate and not upset him further. He was so genuine that she didn't doubt he believed everyone had good intentions. Nevertheless, she was skeptical. "Hoss, sometimes it is just more complicated."

"When two people get married, well… they're put together…and it's important." Hoss stumbled for his words. … "You can come talk to me… I'll try to help. Just don't go running off like you done to Genoa. It ain't safe." He saw her reaction and realized he said the wrong thing. She stiffened. "What I mean is a lady like you ought to be treated like a lady not left to go off by herself with no one and nobody to help her."

"Yes, what happened to Joe and Carrie made that point."

Hoss' face was pure agony. He held up his big hands. "I know folks think I'm big and strong. I still couldn't..." he nearly broke down. "I can use these big hands to lift a heifer all by myself. I'd cut both of them off if'n I could change what happened to them two."

"Oh, Hoss!" Anne exclaimed softly, tears forming in her eyes. "You did everything you could."

"Anne… we are a family, a good family. I hope you see that now." It was more than Hoss could bear. He turned away to leave. Anne caught his arm. They exchanged a nod before he trundled off down the stairs.

She leaned against the door frame thinking how he was such a good soul. His feelings said so much more than his words. The honest belief he had in his father and brother made her wonder if she was just too tired to think straight. So she went to bed and slept the rest of the morning. It was a good thing, too because the first guests to arrive came with about as much noise as possible. Anne woke up to voices yelling in Spanish. A woman's voice could be heard above all, venting her ire. Anne closed her eyes and groaned. It had to be Don Miguel and his daughters. Adam told her about Margarita, who would also meet her betrothed afterwards. Don Miguel was making the trip for a dual purpose. He wanted to marry at least one daughter off. From the sound of it down there, she had an idea why.

Hop Sing came up to tell her that her trunk had arrived from San Francisco. He asked if some of the hands could come bring it up for her. Upon opening it, she found everything still there to her great relief. She sighed heavily, thinking it was more complication to a swift exit. Besides, it all needed airing and pressing. The few dresses she had with her would not do for a great party and needed her own clothing. The worst part was she had no help since Hop Sing was very busy getting the food for the guests and the party ready. Just like men, she thought in disgust. They invite lots of women and have nothing set up to assist them. She hadn't planned on being there, so she hadn't made arrangements either. Anne resolved to get a lady's maid as soon as possible. Fortunately, Adam came up.

"Don Miguel has arrived," he said shutting the door.

"I heard." She was holding up a dress to inspect it. "I need this pressed. I also want a ladies' maid. I can afford it. Can you arrange it?"

"Anne, you can have two if you want. I can afford it too."

She looked at him sharply. "Hmmm, and that's another thing on my mind. Just how much of this place is yours or does 'Pa' keep you on a leash?"

"I have my own money and investments. The ranch is owned I suppose by Pa but it belongs to all four of us. Each month we get a draw. At the end of the year, when we have made our plans and budget for the next, we set aside what we need to invest back into operations or other opportunities and then divide what's left over. If something special comes up, we all have signature on the accounts." He sat down to grin at her. "Nice dress," he gestured at it to make a compliment. "You can have more and better if you want." She was still examining it, dressed in her chemise and corset. "Need some help?" She stepped into it and let him fasten the hooks behind. Caressing her shoulders from behind, he kissed her neck. Then he wrapped his arms around her nuzzling her ear. He still found her exciting, realizing she responded in return. Matters progressed to passionate kissing. "I could help you undress and … dress again."

"What about your guests?"

"Our guests," he corrected, "Are here on our ranch in our house for our party." She tried to see if he was faking, not the physical responses but the emotional ones. She wasn't sure, but maybe. Then they heard a shriek and a crash, then more yelling in Spanish. Both sighed. "She's a shrew."

"I'm getting that notion," Anne answered back.

Neither one of them was the sort to put up with that sort of behavior. Anne had run a successful business on the docks with her cousin and had dealt with difficult personalities. Adam had lived quite an extraordinary life conducting business on the frontier with all manner of rough sorts. He'd seen his share of that nonsense enough to know to stay away from it. Anne wasn't about to let some childish temper tantrum sway her from her own affairs. She wasn't too sure any of this was her business and resolved to stay out of it. In her opinion, these newcomers were more frontier louts.

"It will only get worse around here because there's nothing set up for ladies. Is there a local woman or two or some of Hop Sing's connections who can come for the duration? With all the women arriving, the arrangements are inadequate."

"Let's ask Hop Sing. If he writes a note, we can get at least a few laundresses and cleaning help. I'll send someone to ask Mrs. Shaughnessy. I don't know why we didn't think of asking her earlier."

"I'll make a list of supplies we need from town." She wrapped her hair and pinned it up. "How are you going to explain me to Laura?"

"I rode over there this morning after we buried Gunnar."

"So, now what?"

They heard a crash that sounded like something expensive breaking. In one motion, they got up to deal with it.

"Yes, high society has arrived at the Ponderosa," Anne said sarcastically. "I take it Mrs. Astor disapproves of the crockery," she snorted at Adam who took it with a grain of salt. It was rather en pointe. Mrs. Caroline Astor of New York was the Grande Dame of Society back East and everyone knew it. Someone throwing china in the living room was certainly not one of the "400," those in Mrs. Astor's social register.

Coming down the stairs, they saw a woman holding a porcelain plate over her head about to throw it at someone. Adam hustled down the stairs and grabbed it out of her hand before she could pitch it. Anne stood there staring disdainfully at the ill-mannered woman, who was still screeching in Spanish. Since Don Miguel, Ben, Hoss, her sister, and the two caballeros were not paying attention to her; she turned to see what they were looking at. Her mouth dropped open to see the cool look on Anne's face. Worse, Anne wasn't even looking at her. She surveyed the destruction in the living room and the people in it. It was clear that Anne was not going to give the shrew the time of day. Ben and Hoss had not seen her dressed up in her own clothes other than ordinary day dresses and a riding outfit. This time she was wearing a more formal afternoon gown with her jewelry, looking every inch a proper Boston lady.

Don Miguel slightly elbowed Ben while still looking at Anne. "You must introduce me to your lovely houseguest, Senior Ben."

"With pleasure… Don Miguel, this is my daughter-in-law, Anne Cartwright, my son Adam's wife."

Don Miguel walked up to her to take her hand and blow a gentleman's kiss on it. "I am grateful my friend Ben finally has a woman of such beauty to grace his magnifico ranchero, Senora Cartwright." She nodded to him. "Adam you are a most fortunate man to have such a wife. Clearly your good sense is not limited to running the ranch as my friend Ben has written me. But no one ever told me you were married. I am sincerely happy for you."

"Thank you, Don Miguel," Adam said with a gentleman's courtesy. "I am indeed a lucky man." He said it with a smile at Anne, who still gave no indication she accepted the compliment from him.

Instead, she gave her attention to the guest. Ben completed the introductions to Don Miguel's younger daughter, Elena and her shrewish sister, Margarita. Then to the two caballeros who were Elena's suitors. They bowed and made her many compliments adding even more for Elena, since they were in competition with each other. Anne maintained a mask of civility as Margarita fumed silently. Hoss watched the interaction not understanding how Anne could be so gracious considering the destruction in the room. She simply ignored it. Hoss decided that was probably her way. She sure did look pretty compared to the witch in black, who had thrown pottery at his head. Nothing about Anne made much sense other than she was a lady and you didn't question a proper lady.

"Don Miguel, Hop Sing has the guest rooms ready. If you are tired, I could show you upstairs." He smiled and agreed that the trip had tired him. On the way upstairs, she added, "I hope to hear more of your hacienda in Monterrey. Adam tells me it is a most outstanding holding with vistas of the sea. I so adore the sea, don't you?" He was charmed.

Later that afternoon, Anne walked into the house to see Margarita trying to teach Hoss how to strum a guitar. Becoming impatient then furious, Margarita smashed the instrument over Hoss' head.

"OW!"

Margarita continued to pontificate loudly at Hoss who was trying to extricate himself from the broken pieces and strings hanging on his shoulders. Adam saw it coming in right behind her.

"That was my new guitar. It came all the way from New York! All the way from New York," he said plaintively. At that, he swiftly crossed over to the woman and turned her over his knee, proceeding to spank her like a willful child. Finished after half a dozen whacks, he let her up. With as much dignity as she could muster, she excused herself to go up to her room. The others pleaded with Adam to do something more with her as they couldn't do a thing about her.

"She's not my problem," Adam said trying to exit. "She's yours."

"Senor Adam, por favor," Elena pleaded on her knees. "Don Ricardo is our last hope of marrying her. If he sees her temper, he will run away. I beg you, help me, because if she is not married, as my older sister, I can not marry."

"Si, Si, Senor Adam," the two Caballeros paying court to the sweet Elena also dropped down on one knee to beseech him. Don Miguel added his pleas. Anne cocked an eyebrow at the scene and noticed Hoss was still rubbing his head where the guitar smacked him.

"That's the meanest dang woman I ever did see," Hoss said ruefully, rubbing his head.

"Come with me, Hoss," Anne took his arm, shooting a look filled with daggers at Adam. "Let me have a look at it in the kitchen." She tugged at him, gently urging him to follow her. She wanted no part of this business. Leading Hoss, she gave Adam a cutting look. Adam groaned and walked out the front door. The others threw up their hands. What could be done about Margarita?

In the kitchen, Anne asked Hop Sing for his medical supplies and took Hoss out into the rear courtyard where the chickens scurried about. Sitting him on a bench so she could stand and look at the top of his head, she cleaned the scratches. Hoss didn't think it was so much damage, just a nasty surprise. People had hit his head with much worse than a flimsy guitar. The strings pulled out some hair that was all.

"You will live," she pronounced. "Just a few small scratches and a lump coming up," she told him pumping the water in a bowl to put a cool compress on his swelling lump.

"Meanest dang woman…" Hoss muttered. "I thank you kindly, Anne. I've been hit worse."

Anne sighed and sat down with him. It was quiet there. Hoss dabbed his head with the cool wet rag.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he grumbled. "You think bad enough of us without that."

"I don't think badly of you, Hoss." She made that plain. "Or Joe for that matter," she added with a sigh. "You have nothing to do with my predicament."

"Anne… see I just don't figure it for a predicament." She gave him a sharp look. "Now I know you want to bolt. I don't understand why, even with folks like that in the house. Don Miguel and Pa go back a long way. They been breeding cows for nearly twenty years exchanging stock. Don Miguel has the best bulls anywheres."

"That may be," Anne said cautiously. "I would expect people like that to come from lesser circumstances."

Hoss played with the wet rag. "See this is business, really. Pa helps Don Miguel with Margarita. Then, Don Miguel will sell Amigo his prize bull to Pa."

"What's so special about that bull?"

"That bull is worth 15,000 dollars."

"Wow," Anne realized this was serious business.

"Yeah," Hoss sighed. "Me and Little Joe were supposed to go back with them and bring the bull home. Now Joe can't, leastways not for a while. If'n that Margarita don't get married, Don Miguel won't be interested in anything but getting her married. I ain't going to do it, ner Joe neither. Don't reckon there's anyone in these parts that would."

"And Adam is conveniently married," Anne snorted.

"Ain't like that, Anne." Hoss huffed a little. "Pa can't make Adam marry no how. He's tried and give up a long time ago."

"What about Laura?"

"Well, that was Adam's business, though none of us objected. She's nice enough." Hoss was uncomfortable. "It weren't none of my business," he repeated, staring at his fingers.

"I'm not upset about Laura," Anne said serenely. "I could not possibly expect him to ignore women for ten years." She left it unspoken whether she had ignored men that way. "I met her in town a few weeks ago. She seems very nice...I feel badly for her."

"Huh," Hoss grunted for want of anything else to respond.

"Joe should be up and around later for a short time. He's sleeping again."

"If I could tear them Commancheros apart with these two hands, I would," Hoss said with strong feeling. "It ain't been a good day no how."

"Kind of after the fact, don't you think?" She asked ruefully. "The thing that bothers me is no precautions are taken anywhere here. I watched how you folks do things for two weeks before I went to Genoa."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you all run around alone. I did, too." She shrugged. "I suppose I thought that was normal. I'm getting the idea it is a bad idea for everyone here."

"Huh," Hoss considered her point. He thought on it slowly. She watched the chickens scratch.

"In Boston, I had offices by the docks, a bad area at times and certainly in the dark. So I had two men escort me everywhere." She made the motion that they were big men. "One was as large as you. The other knew how to handle himself with or without weapons. He stayed by my side until I went home. I had a coachman, too, to take me places. So I never went anywhere without two or three men and that was in a city."

"Oh Anne," Hoss was at a loss for words. Suddenly, things made more sense to him. "You don't even got to ask, just tell the men what you want."

"There are so few people here that I figured what were the chances of running into trouble." She snorted at that idea. "Maybe there should be some changes for normal things too. What if someone falls off a horse or has some other accident?"

"We had plenty of those," Hoss agreed. "I guess it should be done different with a lady here now." He regarded her seriously. He knew she was terrified. Maybe, giving her two ranch hands would help make her feel safe. He'd talk to Pa, no… Adam. Like Adam said, she was his wife. "All you have to do is tell one of the men to drive you into town or such. They have to listen to you, now."

"Thank you, Hoss." She gave him a small smile. "It would help." She stood up to look at his head again. "Yes, it's a lump." She shook her head. "I'm surprised Mr. Cartwright doesn't have a few words with Don Miguel."

"I'm sure they understand Don Miguel will replace Adam's guitar, even all the way from New York."

Anne frowned. Hoss didn't understand. He was still upset from the morning funeral and the blow to the family. Seeing she was still out of sorts, he searched his mind for a way to appease her. She really didn't like what was happening around the ranch. Hoss watched the chickens scratch and peck around them expecting to be fed. He could talk about animals endlessly but not today. He knew she was just being polite and really wanted to bolt.

"How are the puppies doing? You think we could take one up to Joe when he wakes up? It might cheer him up."

"I want to give you one too," Hoss said realizing that was a great present to give her something to do. "I'll pick you out the best one."

"Oh not for me," she said thinking she wouldn't be staying.

"Them puppies are weaned. Anne, you come with me and look them over. They are in the shed over there with their ma. You could train one to be just the way you want it."

"Too bad, I can't do that with men," she laughed lightly. Hoss eyed her not really appreciating the comment. "Oh Hoss, some woman is going to get a wonderful husband when you find her." She stood up, smoothing her dress. He smiled bashfully at the compliment, not used to women giving him so many. "Let's go look at the puppies."

At least it would keep her away from the frightful guests a while longer…and her so-called husband, the woman beater. She snorted at that idea. If he ever laid a hand on her, she'd kill him. While Anne and Hoss played with the puppies in the barn, Adam dealt with the arriving guests. Most of the ranch hands had been sent off to the upper pastures and the rest cleaned out the bunk house making partitions so the guests could set up in there. The room at the end of the bunk house was reserved for some neighbors who had kids. Obviously, the Governor would stay in the house as would Molly Clemens who acted as first lady. The ladies from San Francisco would have Hoss' room, sharing as was the custom in those times. Hoss would bunk with the men in a farther bunkhouse. Joe was moved into Ben's room to share. But Anne and Adam kept theirs since she was now the lady of the house, much to her dismay. The whole affair had a surreal quality. As they had discussed, Adam was determined to brazen it out. The guests were much more interested in them than anything else, overshadowing the reason for the engagement party, which was a good thing for all the wrong reasons. By mid-afternoon, the ranch was packed with people.

Adam found her in the barn and took her by the hand to make her the official hostess.

"Adam, I just can't."

"Excuse us, Hoss…." Hoss lumbered out to get cleaned up. "Anne, it's been a rough couple of days. I know it. But we have a house full of people."

"Adam," she choked up. "I-I… can't."

"Yes you can." He tried to give her a hug. "You've been shocked by what happened. We all have. Don't worry, I'm not going to let anything like that ever happen to you."

"Adam, you could not prevent it from happening to your own brother!"

"Anne, that was a very specific problem caused by Hoss' uncle. He always was wild. He's gone now. That will never happen again."

"Adam, we rode 21 miles from Genoa with only one hired hand. Anything could have happened."

"But nothing did, that's the point." He wrapped his arms around her, tightly. She didn't resist but he felt her stiffly standing there. "If it will make you feel better, whenever you go out, take as many hands as you think you need."

"Thanks," she relaxed a bit. "It's all so wild and big out here. I'm not used to this. We read about all the majestic mountains and magnificent sunsets, but the truth is there are some very ugly people out here doing dreadful things."

"They do dreadful things in cities too, Anne."

"I know but it doesn't take the doctor half the night to show up because there's only one doctor for a hundred miles." She felt him hold her even tighter. "Joe could have died. You had to dig out that bullet. There was no medicine, nothing. You don't have any supplies."

"You are right. We should stock up." He loosened his grip on her. "We'll make some changes around here. Right now, we have a party to run."

"Adam…" she broke away. "Are you sure about this?"

"Never been more sure in my life," he said and hauled her in for a long passionate kiss. "Still think I'm faking?"

"Jury is still out."

He pulled her in for a much more tender loving kiss, covering her mouth softly and letting his feelings show. Then he kept her in a warm embrace to whisper in her ear. "I want you." He kissed her again. They did have chemistry together. She was breathing more heavily too, aroused. He kept up the intensity and suddenly broke off. "How can it be like this and not be real?" He cupped her face in his hands. "Anne, we are married. Now let's go tell them." He waited for a nod.

Greeting everyone as they arrived, Anne and Adam found it awkward and upsetting being stared at and knowing everyone was whispering behind their backs. Some clucked over the pretty woman Adam had so callously jilted years before. Others considered her a Jezebel and felt sorry for Adam. To his credit, he stayed by her side for the introductions as each party arrived. They had no choice but to acknowledge Mrs. Adam Cartwright, formerly from Boston. Later in the afternoon, Laura Dayton's absence became a hot topic. Carrie was still absent as was Joe. The social event of the Washoe was rife with speculation. Anne wanted to flee to the sick room and tend Joe as a means of escaping the examinations and awkward pauses. However, Adam made it clear he wanted her front and center. She thought he had lost his mind.

"Adam," Anne said softly after another round of meet the curious guests, "I appreciate what you are trying to do. Really, I didn't think you would be so…."

"What?" Adam said a little testily.

"Bold," Anne replied with some strain. She pulled her lips into a thin line, feeling the stress of the moment. "I understand you mean to brazen this out. It's…well… getting on my nerves."

"We talked about this." Adam smiled at another matron passing by, shooting a curious glance. "There is only one way to do this, straight out."

"Yes, I know but talking about it and doing it…well…" She nodded to another passing woman who gave a less than charitable stare. "It's not as if I haven't done this before."

"In Boston after the …"

"Yes, I tried it this way too."

"Didn't like it then either, I take it?"

"It wears thin quickly."

"Come on, let's get some punch." Adam took her hand and led her over to the bowl not taking his eyes off of her to present the picture of the adoring husband.

"Adam, do me a favor," Anne said plaintively. "I need a break. I want to check on Joe."

"Now we agreed," he said with mischief. "Mrs. Shaughnessy will look after him tonight."

"You agreed. I didn't."

"You aren't hiding in there."

"Then where?"

"Oh look, Governor Nye is coming. Smile your best," Adam winked.

"You know you are going to look mighty silly when I …"

"No, you aren't." Adam said sternly with a smile on his face for the crowd. "It makes no sense anyway and you are too logical to disagree."

"What has logic to do with it?"

"Everything, now smile for the Governor and all the world."

"I hate you."

"No you don't." He pulled her forward towards the guest of honor. "Governor, so glad you could come. You've met my wife, Anne." The Governor blew a kiss on her hand. "I think we should talk in private, quickly." Adam led him off a safe distance.

"Oh?"

"We had an incident last night with some Commancheros. The engagement is not certain," Adam apprised the Governor. He appreciated the problem and agreed to spend some time glad handing the guests while avoiding the topic. His Secretary had to re-write his speech a bit and sat down at the little desk to fix it. While the men discussed the best way to address the problem, Anne was left on her own with the other ladies. She tried to retire to Joe's room but got surrounded quickly. Indian war parties would have been preferable to her.

"Well," Mrs. Clemson said eyeing Anne. "You don't seem like the type to search Patagonia." She referred to the editorial in the Territorial Enterprise.

"I didn't."

The others clamored their questions at her. She kept a pleasant face while the women asked the most atrocious personal inquiries. It was expected, not appreciated, so she didn't respond to each one.

"How did you find Adam?"

"Why did you come after so long?"

"Where were you all that time? In Patagonia?"

"Where is Patagonia?"

"Were you two really married for ten years?"

And so on and so forth, until all the questions subsided for her to reply. Then, she answered simply.

"We thought we had divorced back in Boston; but there was a legal mistake I recently discovered. It was fortunate he still lived here as I am happy to say we have agreed to reconcile."

"Agreed to reconcile," Mrs. Clemson huffed, "I should think you would be grateful he would consider taking you back."

Anne smiled serenely. "Adam is grateful I took him back, too." The others gasped and chattered. She raised a cool eyebrow at Mrs. Clemson. "If we can forgive each other, shouldn't you be happy for us?" It really turned the tables on the sharp tongued Mrs. Clemson.

"Oh there you are, my dear," Ben came up to rescue her. He had a pretty good idea what Mrs. Clemson was capable of. After greeting the ladies, he pulled her away to meet some of his friends.

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright." She winked at him.

"Oh, I had an idea," He smiled at her. "You know you don't have to call me Mr. Cartwright anymore."

"Oh." She blinked. "What then?"

"Well, you could call me Pa like the boys do."

"How about Papa? I wouldn't want you to confuse me with the boys."

He laughed a hearty laugh. "Not likely, my dear," he put her hand on his arm to escort her. "Papa, I like that. Papa, yes," he replied, bringing her to meet a long time friend.

Hoss watched the proceedings from the sideline, scanning the women since he liked to look at them flutter around in brightly colored dresses that made them look as if they floated on air. He smiled at the pretty gals and nodded to the matrons. He noted his father's rescue of Anne from the pack of clucking hens. Watching Anne meet and greet his father's associates, she reminded him of Adam. In fact, she was just like him; cool on the outside and boiling on the inside. Both of them played their emotions close to the vest. If he hadn't read that letter, he would never have guessed how upset she really was. She was a total contrast to Margarita who didn't hold anything back. Both were supposed to be ladies. Both were strong willed and smart yet those two women couldn't be more different than night and day. The women in the hen party were clucking no good, judging by the furtive glances. Most he would have thought to be very nice ladies and had shown him kindness many times. Today, they couldn't manage any kindness for Anne, although she hadn't done anything to them. It made him mad since it also meant they didn't care about Adam's happiness. No doubt about it, he couldn't figure women, not for any reason.


	6. Chapter 6: For All The World's A Stage

**Chapter 6: For All The World Is A Stage**

Once all the guests arrived for the engagement party, Ben took the center of the courtyard to make his welcoming speech. He had to explain why neither Joe nor Carrie were there. He also had to say something about Anne, who was there. Since the Governor was also there, a tribute to him had to be made. So Ben had notes for his speech and faltered for one of the few times in his life.

"My friends, I am so glad to welcome you to the Ponderosa," he paused for applause. "I am grateful you all made the trip." He enumerated who had come far besides the Governor and introduced them. "Now you are all wondering where my son, Joe and his fiancé, Carrie McClane are." There were murmurs. "I am sorry to tell you that both of them had an accident yesterday on the way over here. Joseph was shot by some trespassers here on the Ponderosa." Angry voices drowned out what he said about Carrie other than she fell off her horse. It wasn't true but that was the story Ben and her uncle decided on to protect her good name. She certainly had the bruises to show for it. "So naturally, the young lady is home in bed, too. It will be sometime before either of them is up and around. I could not let everyone know in time since it happened yesterday late. I appreciate everyone being here and understanding. The party will go on and all our guests who have come so far are very welcome to stay and cheer Little Joe up. He should be up and around by the end of the week, although he isn't going riding anywhere so fast as he usually does." Murmurs of anxiety punctuated the assembly.

"Who did it, Ben?" One of the male guests prompted.

"Don't worry, we caught the trespassers who did it and none of them will be doing such things again. Sheriff Coffee did a splendid job and we can't say thank you enough to Roy." He applauded so everyone else did, too. "So with your permission, I would like to change this party from an engagement party to a wedding reception." Loud murmurs passed through the group. "I was not fortunate enough to have been at my son's wedding in Boston the first time. So now that my daughter-in-law has joined us here, I would like to make this their party. Anne and Adam," Ben motioned for her and Adam to come forward. I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright." A few people clapped, but it was very subdued. Adam took the initiative from that point.

"I know many of you are surprised to find out I am married. So was I. I thought up until four weeks ago, that I was divorced. However, sometimes fate takes a strange and wonderful turn. My wife, Anne, discovered that the divorce was invalid. She came to me after all these years to straighten it out. I never knew what I had lost until she showed up again. We talked it over this past month and got to know one another again. So we have decided to reconcile. I'm sure you are all happy for us."

He motioned for the musicians to play the waltz he had earlier selected. Then he led her out and danced alone with her until his father cut in and then Hoss. After that, there was no going back. Even the Governor took his turn, but no one cut in on him. By the end of the evening, most of the men had met her or danced with her to the objections of a few wives. One look from Ben and they subsided. It was his house after all. Of course, Margarita threw a fit and had Adam yank her out of there. She calmed down because she knew he meant business.

Finally, the house and bunkhouses settled down. Adam and Anne were in their room in bed. After that performance in front of their guests, there was only one thing left to do. They did it quietly but with considerable passion. While Adam snored, Anne stared up at the ceiling wondering at the strange turn of events in her varied and unusual life. Her last thought before sleep over came her was whether Hoss was right that maybe this was the way things were intended.

The house party went well enough considering for the next few days. Margarita's intended showed up ahead of schedule to evaluate her before she came to his rancho. He was a suave tall man with impeccable manners. Everyone was frightened he would be offended by Margarita's fiery temperament. Finally, they persuaded Adam to deal with her. So he took her riding. He insured her horse would run off so she would want to ride his.

"Oh but Senorita, I couldn't possibly allow such a thing."

"And why NOT! I insist you get down this instant!"

"But Senorita, this horse is far too dangerous for you to ride. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"Ridiculous. I am an excellent horsewoman. Now get down and help me up."

"A gentle lady such as yourself could never manage such a creature. You would break your neck. I'm sorry but you will have to walk."

"Walk!" She screeched outraged.

"Walk." He turned his horse to go and said casually over his shoulder. "I will ride with you."

"You are a beast! I don't need you!"

"Ah well, as you please Senorita. But be careful of the rattlesnakes...they move very quickly in these parts." She suddenly looked around her feet. "And of course the mountain lions are about at this time of year, too. I'm sure you'll be fine after all it's only three miles back to the house. But, as you say..."

"I will walk with you, Senor. But I do not like it!"

They went along with her hurling insults until she was too tired. Sitting down she rubbed her foot where the blister had burst. He sat there regarding her pleasantly.

"You know you could ask nicely."

"You are a brute!"

"Then we should start along again," he turned the horse.

"I would like to ride." She said more nicely.

"You could say... please."

She huffed a little..."please."

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" He got down to help her up and swung up behind her. Together they made it back to the ranch only to find her fiance waiting. At her request, he let her off behind the house so no one would see her so disheveled. She actually thanked him.

It turned out that Don Ricardo didn't want a tame ladylike woman. He was a sheep rancher and felt he wanted a woman with some fire not another sheep on his ranch. He wanted to meet Margarita because he'd heard how impossible she was. Only Margarita had decided this was her last chance and behaved herself all evening, much to Anne's relief.

"I wonder what go into her today," she remarked to Adam as they went to bed. "What did you do to her on that ride?"

"I made her walk and say please and thank you."

"And she did?"

"Oh yes, except Don Ricardo doesn't want a docile little woman. Oh no," he rolled over to nuzzle her ear. "He wants a shrew."

"You're kidding."

"Nope, told me so himself. He doesn't want another sheep. So tomorrow I'm going to provoke her."

"Can't wait for that." Anne sat up. "Adam, I have to say I didn't like how you swatted Margarita the other day."

Adam sighed. "And what else should I have done?"

"There's no excuse."

"Anne, she had it coming. Why is it if a man reacts unemotionally to a woman, he's wrong? She was begging for it."

"Don't try it with me."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. She excused herself. You would shoot me."

"As long as we have that straight."

"And other things..." Adam was glad she was there, especially after a day of Margarita.

The next day at the picnic no matter how hard Adam tried to provoke her, Margarita wouldn't rise to the bait. So finally, he pushed her in the pond. Even then she laughed it off. He could see Don Ricardo frowning. So Adam beckoned him over to help him get Margarita out of the water. With a swift push, he caused the man to fall in as well. Margarita came out swinging and yelling. Don Ricardo laughed his head off. this was the woman he had hoped to meet. Adam gave his finest smirk until Don Ricardo bodily tossed him into the water.

"Nothing personal, Senor Adam, but it is a matter of honor." Everyone laughed and headed back for the house to change. The next day the company departed for Don Ricardo's rancho some two days ride to the north.

Anne turned her attention to the other guests until most were gone. Of course life couldn't just get back to normal. Several payroll shipments and miners were robbed by bold and brutal bandits. Ben disguised his payroll shipments as other loads. However, the bandits knew the Ponderosa ran the biggest payroll next to the big mines like the Ophir and the Mexican Mines. They put watchers to observe how the payroll was getting through. Another killing over strong boxes on the stage coaches happened and something had to be done about it. One morning, Sheriff Coffee rode up with a posse to the Ponderosa to ask for more men.

"Why don't you leave Adam out of this?" Anne complained vehemently.

"A man is dead and three more were shot," Ben explained patiently. "We need every man in the area to track the four men who did it."

"A gang robbed the stagecoach of the money it was carrying. That's the fourth time this month," Sheriff Coffee added. "Now I've asked them to join the posse to make sure it's safe out here for all of us.

"It's a violent cesspool out here. And you men enjoy it!"

"None of us get any joy out of this. It has to be done." Adam said flatly.

"Last year 200 head of cows disappeared without a trace," Ben explained. "Fifty men couldn't find them. Now we are looking for 4 men. We aren't doing this to feel good or feel big. It just needs doing."

"And it needs doing fast," Adam said. "These men are riding around on the busiest roads they can find."

"So?"

"So that means they don't care if they are seen."

"Then these men don't need you to find the outlaws!"

"Yes they do," Adam said moving up to her and taking her by the shoulders. "If they are moving about that boldly, they are probably from around here. No one on the road would think it strange if these men were riding along."

"From here, of course they are from here. If they weren't here, how could they break the law?"

"No, what we are saying is that it is probably some neighbors or some miners living around here."

"WHAT!"

"I didn't want to believe it either," Ben said softly. "We picked up the trail today. They doubled back and went right back to the main road. That means they are losing their trail among all the other traffic. The next stage is coming from Placerville today."

"You said that Gunnar was an aberration. Now you are saying the neighbors are cutthroats?" She got hysterical. "It's a jungle out here!" She gasped

"So far they have only hit the stage, the miners, and the mine payrolls. They might be ready to branch out." Prescott told her. "He would be putting out the fire in our own house."

"Here? HERE! Someone here is doing it?" She backed away. Adam grabbed her arm but she shook him off and ran in the house.

"You better go on without me. I'll catch up."

"We're heading up to the Placerville pass."

"Okay Pa," Adam was already striding into the house.

Anne was upstairs in their room by then, pacing. She threw open her trunk to figure out how to pack it. Adam came through the door to find it open and her pawing through it. He watched her start tossing things out to reassemble them.

"Anne, stop it," Adam said firmly. "You know the Sheriff didn't mean it literally that the culprits are at the ranch."

"According to them, they could be. It could be anyone around here." She dug into the trunk deeper, sorting. "It's one thing after another, Adam."

"We've dealt with it before and will again. There's no police force here. We have to do it ourselves."

"It's just an excuse to go gallivanting around and get yourself shot." She stood up. "And who is supposed to stay and watch over us here?"

Adam was about to answer and closed his mouth. She was right. She would be alone with Hop Sing and a bed-ridden Joe. There were few ranch hands around at this time of year because of spring roundup. They were with the herds all over the ranch and not nearby. He tried to think who was around so he could send for some men. No one was. It was a conflict because he had told the others he would go. He had also promised her protection, his protection. Joe was still in bed, recovering from his gunshot wound. The pure truth was she was right.

"I'll go tell Pa that I have to stay. I'll ask him to send Hoss for some hands to come back." She gave him a withering look. In her opinion, he'd go off and get talked into continuing. He shook his head and went out. She continued packing.

Once he caught up to Ben and explained the situation, Adam felt henpecked. All those years living on the ranch without women did not predispose him to taking her concerns seriously. After all, they had handled things like this many times. The bandits were after money. They'd go after the stage or another mine. In his opinion, she was fussing to get attention and control the situation. Once they caught the bandits, it would be over. Wouldn't it? She was just being a nag, overstating the problem. Wasn't she? By the time he reached a decision, they were already in hot pursuit of tracks leading to a neighbor's ranch. At the neighboring ranch, the tracks doubled back before ever getting to the house. Adam groaned. The tracks were a ruse.

"Pa, I have to get home." Ben nodded stricken.

"I'll go with him," Hoss declared turning Chubb and urging him homeward without a backward glance. Adam didn't say a word but both men knew how serious this was.

Adam and Hoss got home to find it quiet, too quiet. Dismounting with all their senses on alert, they didn't have to wait long before finding the problem. Adam jogged inside to find Anne bound with a gun to her head. Hop Sing was out cold on the floor. Two more men appeared from the kitchen. One arrived behind Hoss with a gun at Hoss' back.

"Guess we found them bandits, Adam." Hoss said dryly.

"Shut up, Big Man."

"You over there," the one now standing by the sofa demanded. He pointed to the safe behind Ben's desk in the front alcove. "Open it."

Adam hesitated.

"I said, open that safe," one of the men snarled at Adam in the great room of the Ponderosa.

"We know you been shipping in the payroll money using that wagon and them logs."

"Give it to them Adam," Hoss said keeping his eyes on the one with the gun to Anne's head. "Mister, you hurt one hair on the lady's head and all them bullets that gun won't stop me from tearing you apart."

The response was to cock the gun pointed at Anne's head. She flinched but otherwise sat stoically. A man came inside from behind Hoss and clobbered him with a big branch of wood from the woodpile. Hoss went down hard.

"So much for threats," the tall older man said calmly.

"I wouldn't have expected this from you, Clay."

"What, you think that 60 a month pension for being sheriff pays the bills?" He snorted.

"So that's how you sent Elizabeth to that fancy finishing school back East."

"You leave her out of this!" He fumed walking up to Adam and striking him across the face. "She's a lady and don't any of you forget it."

"Yeah, well so's my wife over there."

"Your wife," one of the men spat. "You don't care nothing about her. I read how you abandoned her for ten years."

"Ten years?" One of the others echoed in surprise.

"Yeah, that's right. Them important Cartwrights get tired of a woman and move on to the next one. Well I aim to be that rich I can have my choice of little fillies like this one here."

"You can come with me, ma'am," the younger dumber one said appalled. "I would treat you right, buy you pretty things. Ain't no call to stay with this feller."

"Aw shut up, Hank. She's too high class for any of us," he went to lift her chin. "Ain't that right, honey?" He joked menacingly. "But I sure will have you if he don't open that safe right now!"

That triggered something in Anne that could only be described as feral. With complete abandonment of fear, she struggled with the chair and managed to tip it over. That was all the opening Adam needed. At the same moment, Joe made it to the top of the stairs and shot one of the robbers. Hoss realized enough to roll into another causing him to fall firing his gun as he went down. Adam and Hoss got hold of the robber's guns and killed all but the leader who made it out the door. Only he confronted a posse of men led by Ben.

"Put it down, Clay." Ben said in deep baritone. "You've got nowhere to run.

"I came to help, Ben. You know I'm a lawman."

"Don't Clay, just don't."

"Pa, look out, he's…"

Clay drew but Ben drew faster and shot him dead. In shock, Ben stared at his old friend."

"He wanted me to kill him. I never could draw as fast as he." Ben went to check the pulse. "He's dead."

Adam whirled to go back to Anne. But Hoss already had her untied and in his great arms to carry her upstairs. In the fall, she had knocked herself out on the corner of the coffee table. Some blood seeped from a gash in her head. Adam thought at first she had been shot.

"She hurt herself but she's fine."

Hoss carried her up the stairs, past Joe sitting on the landing breathing heavily. Adam went to follow, but Hoss told him to go deal with the posse. For once, Adam didn't deal with other matters. He got Joe up and back to bed after making sure Joe hadn't been injured and the wound didn't reopen. Then, he went to Anne in their room. Using a handkerchief to staunch the blood flow, he asked Hoss to get the medical supplies and send for a doctor.

"I think Pa already done that once he seen all them bodies in the house."

"Just ask, will ya?"

"Huh." Hoss stomped out, disgusted, wiping at his own wound on the back of his big head. Touching it with two fingers, he came away with blood. "Huh."

Ben saw the gash and stopped him on the way to the kitchen. Hoss shrugged and walked on. He's had worse. Ben made sure Hop Sing was placed in his bed before checking on Joe and then Anne. He was shocked to see the blood on the bandages on her head.

"Cut herself falling on the coffee table, Pa. It's superficial."

"Good, good, that's something." He paused. What could anyone say? He saw her trunk was open and packed. With a deep sigh, he went back down to deal with the posse. Adam got up to rummage for her smelling salts. It wasn't lost on him that her trunk was packed. He checked the dresser and the armoire. Everything was packed. Upset with himself, Adam passed the smelling salts under her nose to wake her up. It did the trick.

"Ugh!"

"Anne, Anne, it's over," Adam said gently as her eyes flew open in alarm. "You're safe. It's all over." She closed her eyes and groaned. "I'm so sorry, Anne…so sorry." She put her hand to her head and felt the warm stickiness of the blood. Looking at it, she sighed and tried to sit up. "Just rest, we sent for the doctor. Hoss went to get the bandages. It's just a cut." Anne still sat up.

"I need the necessary."

"Sure," he helped her up and let her lean on him to go downstairs. Afterwards, they went into the kitchen to make tea and sit quietly to talk. Adam put the kettle on and found some cookies. He fussed and tended her but she wasn't feeling well, nausea kept overwhelming her until she threw up.

"Sure sign of a concussion," Ben said from the doorway. "You'll have to rest sitting up and not sleep tonight." She didn't answer him, not wanting to nod either with the dizziness. "They're all dead. You don't have to worry anymore. There won't even have to be a trial."

Anne swiveled her head a little too fast, groaned, clutched the edge of the sink, and stared back at him with a withering look. Then she threw up again. Ben went to get some brandy for them. Everyone needed a drink. Loud male voices in the courtyard outside said they were dealing with the bodies. The smells wafted in through the kitchen door and the window. She gave a dry heave and nearly fainted. Adam caught her and pulled her over to a chair. She waved him off. Hoss came in with the bandages and handed them to Adam.

"No, I want Hoss to do it, please. You go take care of business out there."

"I'll do it. I'm quite good at it…." And then he realized how that sounded. Hoss beat a retreat before he got mixed up in that scene.

Adam fussed and bandaged her although she was unhappy with him. For the rest of the day, Adam solicitously cared for her. Ben came in to make his peace with her. She stared back at him with a look that left no doubt what she thought about them all. Later Joe came in to see her. He apologized but she waved him off, saying he did more than anyone could have asked. Joe was uncomfortable and backed out after she inquired how his injury was doing.

"How long were they here?" He asked.

"About an hour," she said not looking at him.

"We saw the tracks double back. So Hoss and I came as fast as we could."

"So you did go with the posse anyway."

"Just for a little bit, they were near the road by the time I got there."

"And that means what?"

"We checked possible tracks before realizing what they were doing. We knew they were watching for our payroll to come so we disguised it as a load of firewood or feed or lumber. I guess they figured it out."

"You knew they were watching the place?" She was incredulous. He felt ashamed. "You knew it was pay day and it was in the safe."

"It wasn't in the safe. That's why I hesitated. Pa keeps important papers in the safe. That's all and maybe a couple hundred dollars. The real payroll money was not even in the house." He decided to talk more to explain. "Once we got it, we divided it up. Candy went off to pay the men up in the high country. Hoss went to the nearby herds. I went to the sawmill. It was gone as of yesterday." She closed her eyes. "If I had opened that safe without any money in there, someone would have gotten shot for sure. We keep the 200 dollars just to prevent that. If a robber gets something, he usually leaves unhappy but more content than if he gets nothing. But those men would never have accepted the 200 dollars as all there was or cared much because they wanted it all."

"So let me get this straight. You knew the payroll was being targeted. You took steps to protect the money but not the house or Joe and me. You left no guards, no men, no watchers, just the cook. Then when I asked you to stay, you went on with the posse anyway, knowing those men were in the area." She looked at him with hatred and contempt.

"I didn't think of it that way. I thought I was doing my part to get rid of them."

"You didn't think about anything but the thrill of the chase. Let me tell you something about yourself Adam Cartwright. You are a selfish man. You always were. You try to justify doing what you want by dressing it up. The only person who sees it clearly is me. That's why you left, selfish man."

"That's not fair, Anne. I welcomed you back and gave you everything on a silver platter. I took society by the horns to make you acceptable and give you a position in what makes society around here. If I were selfish, I would have let you rot in some dump of a room somewhere and continued with Laura."

"Laura, that poor woman," Anne said ruefully. "You admitted to wanting an end to that. She had no idea. Sure you gave the child a pony. That makes you the generous bountiful lord of the manor. And then you lost interest and the child doesn't understand."

"She's six years old. She'll forget about it in a week." Adam felt bad about Peggy, but it wasn't the moment to debate Peggy with an irate woman.

"You are a hard man, completely callous about other people's feelings. We aren't real people to you. You only live for yourself."

"Go ahead, catalogue all my faults. You've been dying to tell me how bad I am. Go ahead. I've got nothing better to do today. After all, I'm tending my long lost wife who wouldn't join me and made every excuse under the sun not to follow her husband when she should have. You were obligated to go wherever I go. You are the selfish one. You wanted the fine important position in Boston that you thought you were entitled to have. All you cared about was what other people thought, not your own husband. You never cared about what matters to me!"

"You got couldn't hack it as a low level apprentice to an architect before climbing up the ladder in the firm. Adam Cartwright was too important. Only no one in Boston thought so. They couldn't see the obviously superior man in their midst and had the gall to tell you to be humble and work your way up."

"I worked for two years as an apprentice. I stayed two years too long for you… I did my time and I did it well."

"Not well enough to be taken in as a junior partner right away. No, it offended you. So you ran off to where you could be the most educated, enlightened, little tin god among a couple thousand people spread over hundreds of miles. You have bamboozled your brothers to the point you actually believe in your own superiority. I have watched you for eight weeks. You pick away at your father until he agrees with whatever scheme of the moment has your attention. The minute your brothers object or argue, you bully them until they agree to do whatever you want. That's really what you want. You want to be in control of everyone and everything around you. The only saving grace is your father who can stop you and does every so often."

"I do nothing but share and compromise all the time. I have to with three brothers. ...What about you? You ruined your father's law practice and his position in that fabulous all important Boston society because you wanted to vote. You are single minded. Because you say it is wrong, everyone has to drop their lives to accommodate you."

"It is wrong the way women and people of color are treated. There's a war going on because it is that important, or hadn't you noticed because you were too busy being important here?"

"An army marches on its stomach …on our beef! Who do you think is feeding the soldiers…women suffragettes? It's people like us who work hard day and night to make that happen. I break my back to make this successful. All I do is work for the family. I got the contracts with the Army. I got the contract for the railroad ties so the country can be unified by the railroad. I went to Oregon to secure the timber rights. I'm much better at this than architecture. That was your dream."

"Mine? Oh you did not do it for me…!"

"Yes! We run 10,000 head of cattle, a sawmill, a grist mill, a shipping company all because I helped Pa organize this into a real business and incorporated it. I do the traveling for him. I find the innovations that make things more profitable. Someone has to run this place! Hoss can't do it. Joe is too young. Pa is getting older. That leaves me. You did the same thing back in Boston.

"I had to make a life for myself. I couldn't rely on YOU. But I came to make sure _YOU_ had YOUR freedom to remarry."

"I didn't remarry because I didn't have time!"

"Nonsense! You didn't remarry because you can't share or compromise."

"You didn't either!"

"I _**WAS**_ MARRIED! To _you_! There is no such thing as divorce. No matter what the laws of this country say," She was yelling. "Just because you found it convenient to forget our vows, doesn't mean I did! I haven't been with anyone …voluntarily… for ten years!"

"You little hypocrite! You came out here to finish the divorce and go do exactly as you pleased for the rest of your life. Don't sugar coat it."

"I have to make my way in life because you aren't man enough to take care of your wife. Today was just another case in point."

"I did take care of you, just not exactly the way you wanted. It isn't always going to meet your expectations. But then you don't compromise either."

It went on like that for a while. Downstairs, Ben, Hoss, and Joe cast worried looks up at the ceiling and flinched every so often. Hop Sing put out some food but went out muttering and pointing up.

"Yell Yell Yell…all the time here, everyone yells. Yap yap yap."

"Pa, you should go up there and stop that." Hoss said after the latest round. "It don't do no good to let them go at it like that."

"They have to work it out for themselves." Ben got up for some coffee. "Married people fight sometimes and it isn't pretty."

"Don't they love each other no more, Pa?" Hoss was so upset.

"If they didn't love each other, they wouldn't fight. When you don't care, you don't fight."

"Pa," Hoss gulped as the voices raised again. "Did you fight with my Ma?"

"A few times, she really let me have it. She was right which made me fight back."

"What happened?"

"I gave in. You do a lot of that when you are with a woman."

"Adam don't know about that." Hoss lamented as they heard Adam's voice.

"He's learning," Joe giggled. "The hard way…." He giggled more in embarrassment. "Did you fight with my Ma?"

"Marie had a hot temper just like you, boy. Sometimes she'd get so mad at me she'd yell in French."

"What did you do?"

"I let her wear herself out. Making up was very nice too."

"You didn't fight back?"

"Sure I did. But you learn to say 'yes dear' and do whatever you want anyway. He'll learn."

"She packed up her trunk this morning, Pa." Joe said softly. "She was mad before this happened."

"Boy, you have a lot to learn about women. Those two are more alike than they know."

Suddenly it was quiet. They looked up but heard nothing. Expecting Adam to come stomping out, everyone looked to the staircase. No one appeared. For a long while, it was silent. Ben started to smirk into his ledger. Hoss and Joe saw it, looked at each other, and shrugged. Joe got tired and went back to bed. Hoss went out to chop wood. Ben sat looking at his ledgers and smiled reminiscing over the fights he'd had with his wives... and how passionately they made up. Adam and Anne didn't show up until supper. The others weren't sure what would happen.

"Allow me," Adam pulled out her chair at the table. He smiled at her.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled up at him.

Hoss was stumped watching them bill and coo. Ben acted as if it were normal. Joe looked at them, then to his father, who nodded imperceptibly. Supper passed pleasantly.

"I think it's a good night for a walk in the moonlight. Don't you agree?"

"That would be nice, excuse me." She got up to take his arm and walked out the door with him. "Let's go walk the elephant."

"Well I'll be knee high to a prairie dog…" Hoss exclaimed.

"How did you know, Pa?" LJ asked.

"Three wives, boy, three wives."

Finis.


End file.
